Freelance Writing
I've still got a "When I grow up" class assignment from way back when I was in grade five. My ten year old self's plan for the future was to live in Hawaii (nope), commute to work on horseback or surfboard (nope and nope), live off of snowcones (I wish) and to - you guessed it - write for magazines. One prediction right out of five isn't bad!
I write regularly and semi-regularly for a whole swath of print publications. My specialty and passion is all things agriculture. You'll find my name attached to tech features, agronomic how-to columns, ag news pieces, and (my personal favourite) producer profile articles. Over the past ten years, I've had 600ish articles published in corporate, industry, regional, provincial and national publications.
Why do I like writing about agriculture? Mostly because of its heart. Agriculture is a hard way to make a living. People who choose to farm seem to invest their whole selves into their business and their land. That all-in commitment makes them super interesting to profile and drives my desire to support them via clear, quality, well-researched news and agronomic articles.
Samples
Industry News
Government Regs Limit Precision Plant Breeding
SeedWorld, July 2016
The global ag industry's ability to feed a ballooning population may hinge on whether or not crop varieties created through genome editing and other new plant breeding innovations will fall under domestic and international regulations put in place for GMOs.
Technical FEatures
Convincing the Unconvinced on Precision Ag
SpudSmart, February 2017
Precision agriculture is cutting edge, high-tech and full of potential. At least some western Canadian potato farmers, however, see it as overwhelming, costly, frustrating, and/or difficult to implement.
Support and Advice
Down on the Farm
Country Guide, May 2018
Farming is a mental health challenge. It isn't your fault; the numbers prove it. So maybe this is the right moment to talk about whether you're one of the many who would benefit from some help.
Personal Perspective
Farm Lessons Learned: the Rocky Road to Figuring it Out Ourselves
Small Farm Canada, February 2016
In 2012, we traded big city living for mucky boots, never-ending farm chores and a whole lot of four-legged responsibilities.
Business Guidance
Hip Hip Hip Hooray for me!
Country Guide, March 2018
Front and centre in almost every “how to succeed in business” book is the recommendation that business operators take time to celebrate success. But does that advice still apply if you’re an independent, self-employed farmer whose “team members” might be more likely to have four legs and tails? You betcha!
Producer Profiles
The First-Generation Farmers of Hillside Dreams Goat Dairy
Country Guide, June 2015
Like other new farmers across Canada, Barrie and Merel Voth may not produce the commodities you’d expect, or farm at the scale you’d like, but they’re committed, brave, and very, very smart.