Team effort recognised

For more than 10 years the team's main focus had been on delivering information to farmer readers to help them make more money.

It had always been about writing articles farmers want and need to read.

This doesn't always fit with what award judges want to read.

So when the accolades flowed at the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators in Wellington-it was a great night.

Country-Wide was runner up in the Rongo, the guild's top award. It entered the series on the future of Monitor Farms and the impact of rates on farmers.

The articles were written by the team, but as the major contributor in the rates feature, Richard Rennie was singled out by the judges for the mix of colour and content in his writing.

The Rongo was won by the Dominion Post's Jon Morgan.

Our Feilding-based journalist Jackie Harrigan won the BNZ Partners Farm Business Writing award.

Jackie's first story was about Morikau Station near Jerusalem on the Wanganui River, finalists in the Ahuwhenua Awards. Heavy investment by the trustees has turned around the production on the station and rejuvenated the pride of the owners.

The second story was about the Stewart family farm near Palmerston North who had diversified over the years to keep their business growing.

The judges said Jackie's features were well-written and maintained reader interest from beginning to end. With the Morikau story she successfully integrated the ‘human' dimensions of the enterprise with a discussion of its business goals, their underlying rationale and how they were being achieved.

Country-Wide's Joanna Grigg was runner up in the agricultural science writing award and Andrew Stewart was highly commended for his individual entry into the Rongo.

Judges were particularly impressed with Andrew using the family farm to examine the emission trading scheme in a feature.

His ETS feature was " strong opinionated and controversial-speaking straight to the hearts of readers."

The editor of our sister publication Young Country, Aaron Smaile won the Rural Women NZ award and was also highly commended in the Rongo.

It has been a good year for Country-Wide with awards.

The southern edition was a finalist in the Qantas Awards. Our senior writer Gerard Hall won the Sir Arthur Ward award for his significant contribution towards the application of animal production science.

Country-Wide's writers all have different skills and strengths. Some are trained journalists, some ex-farmers and farm consultants. Many are graduates of Lincoln and Massey universities.

One thing they all have in common-they are in the groove as far as understanding and reflecting what is happening in NZ agriculture.

Many are still directly involved with farming, others indirectly through family and friends. Most live in rural areas and mix with farmers. They are also spread around NZ giving a strong regional flavour to stories.

Of course none of our successes would have been possible without the co-operation of farmers who open up their farming businesses so we can tell their stories. Long may that continue.

Part of the winning Country-Wide team with Ben Speedy from BNZ Partners are (top, left-right) Speedy, Jackie Harrigan and Sandra Taylor. Front row (L-R) Terry Brosnahan and Andrew Stewart.

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