I'm not sure if it's lack of pride, enthusiasm or money, but something is lacking in New Brunswick with agriculture promotion.
I'm spending a few weeks travelling in Maritime Canada and currently, I'm in Prince Edward Island.
Fruit and vegetable stands are around every turn and maps at every tourist bureau point to the flavour routes... highlighting agri-tourism or agriculture experiences, farm markets and restaurants. Local food is highlighted in every restaurant.
Many of the promotional steps are simple and cost effective. A map with farm markets, pick-your-own farms and other agriculture activities has advertisements -- it's a promo tool that likely paid for itself. With thousands of tourists through visitor information centres each summer in PEI, the spin-off of promoting themselves is invaluable.
Personally, with this handy map highlighting local foods, I'm using it to plan my meals, whether I'm doing the cooking or eating out.
So why isn't this happening in New Brunswick? I know farmers are proud of the product they produce, but are their energies too tapped out to do the promotion? What role does the federal an provincial government play?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Reprise: How to make love to your editor (figuratively speaking, of course)
Originally posted a couple of months ago, I was thinking about this list again the other day and decided to repost.
Is there anything I forgot? Send me a comment with additions. ~A
(disclaimer: I have a great crew of writers and every week, I'm thankful that I have them as part of my team. What lies below are general comments and most certainly not directed at any of them. If I was referring to my writers, we'd be talking in person, not here.)
Early in my career, I met a few editors who made my life hell. They were mean. They were nasty. I think some even had green skin and horns.
Now 20 years into my career, I realize that those editors taught me rock solid, core journalism values. (And for the record, many more editors were patient. A special few were also a lot of fun to be around and were wonderful mentors).
Now that I've "crossed over" to the editor's side, I sometimes wonder if I may be growing my own set of horns.
Good freelance writers are hard to find so when we find you, we want to keep you. To keep our horns from growing, here's a Top 10 List of how to make love to your editor (figuratively speaking, of course):
10. File on time. Stuff happens, I know that. I have family and friends and pets too. Sources go on vacation, get tied up in meetings, don't return calls -- it happens. If you're working on an assignment for me and something comes up, let me know as soon as you can. Don't wait until deadline.
9. Check your facts. We're human and we all make mistakes, but it's your job as a journalist to get the facts and figures in your story right. Your reputation, my reputation and the publication's reputation is on the line.
8. Ask me for my style guide. If I don't have one, I'll let you know if there are specific rules for you to follow.
7. Stick to the word count. I only have so much space and I assigned you a specific word count for a reason. If I ask for 800 words, don’t file 873 words -- or 542 words. And if you do file a story that's 873, don't add a note like, "I've trimmed as much as I can, maybe you can do something more…"
6. Do suggest a sidebar. If you have some quick facts that can easily be made into a sidebar, I'm open to suggestions.
5. Every story should be your best story. I know some topics actually hurt when you're writing the story. I've written them too. But I've assigned this story to you because it's a topic I want to publish -- and you accepted. I expect your best work.
4. Check your spelling. 'Nuff said.
3. Follow up, but don't pester. Many editors get hundreds of email a day and, I'm sorry, but I sometimes lose your pitch. Check with me, I don't mind.
2. Tell me how to reach you. Add a signature on your email. You should do this anyways if you're a freelance writer, but if I have a question for you, I don't want to go sifting through business cards to find your phone number. And make sure you have voice mail.
1. Send a real pitch. Don't send me a three day conference agenda and ask if I'm interested in a story. Focus. Craft. Sell.
Is there anything I forgot? Send me a comment with additions. ~A
(disclaimer: I have a great crew of writers and every week, I'm thankful that I have them as part of my team. What lies below are general comments and most certainly not directed at any of them. If I was referring to my writers, we'd be talking in person, not here.)
Early in my career, I met a few editors who made my life hell. They were mean. They were nasty. I think some even had green skin and horns.
Now 20 years into my career, I realize that those editors taught me rock solid, core journalism values. (And for the record, many more editors were patient. A special few were also a lot of fun to be around and were wonderful mentors).
Now that I've "crossed over" to the editor's side, I sometimes wonder if I may be growing my own set of horns.
Good freelance writers are hard to find so when we find you, we want to keep you. To keep our horns from growing, here's a Top 10 List of how to make love to your editor (figuratively speaking, of course):
10. File on time. Stuff happens, I know that. I have family and friends and pets too. Sources go on vacation, get tied up in meetings, don't return calls -- it happens. If you're working on an assignment for me and something comes up, let me know as soon as you can. Don't wait until deadline.
9. Check your facts. We're human and we all make mistakes, but it's your job as a journalist to get the facts and figures in your story right. Your reputation, my reputation and the publication's reputation is on the line.
8. Ask me for my style guide. If I don't have one, I'll let you know if there are specific rules for you to follow.
7. Stick to the word count. I only have so much space and I assigned you a specific word count for a reason. If I ask for 800 words, don’t file 873 words -- or 542 words. And if you do file a story that's 873, don't add a note like, "I've trimmed as much as I can, maybe you can do something more…"
6. Do suggest a sidebar. If you have some quick facts that can easily be made into a sidebar, I'm open to suggestions.
5. Every story should be your best story. I know some topics actually hurt when you're writing the story. I've written them too. But I've assigned this story to you because it's a topic I want to publish -- and you accepted. I expect your best work.
4. Check your spelling. 'Nuff said.
3. Follow up, but don't pester. Many editors get hundreds of email a day and, I'm sorry, but I sometimes lose your pitch. Check with me, I don't mind.
2. Tell me how to reach you. Add a signature on your email. You should do this anyways if you're a freelance writer, but if I have a question for you, I don't want to go sifting through business cards to find your phone number. And make sure you have voice mail.
1. Send a real pitch. Don't send me a three day conference agenda and ask if I'm interested in a story. Focus. Craft. Sell.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Getting it done
Not that I'm one to hold back, but I realized earlier this year that there were several things I've always wanted to do, but had never gotten around to doing.
When summer plans started to take shape, I decided I would work in as many of these "you-know-what-I-should-do" events and activities as possible.
Last week, I went to Ottawa and celebrated Canada Day on Parliament Hill -- I've always wanted to do that. Great feeling to stand among 100,000 people and heard spontaneous rounds of O Canada break out. Not so great feeling to be in a gridlock with 100,000 people, all of us trying to leave at the same time and all going in different directions.
This week, I'm working from a campsite that's within view of the ocean. I've been getting up early to do a bit of work (I've scaled back this week), then walking down to the sandbars, settling in with a book and watching the waves roll in. A late afternoon drive to the local vegetable stand, maybe a stop for some fresh seafood -- I could easily settle into a whole summer of working like this.
I'll continue on this path as the summer goes on. Some of the plans actually do include work goals, too!
When summer plans started to take shape, I decided I would work in as many of these "you-know-what-I-should-do" events and activities as possible.
Last week, I went to Ottawa and celebrated Canada Day on Parliament Hill -- I've always wanted to do that. Great feeling to stand among 100,000 people and heard spontaneous rounds of O Canada break out. Not so great feeling to be in a gridlock with 100,000 people, all of us trying to leave at the same time and all going in different directions.
This week, I'm working from a campsite that's within view of the ocean. I've been getting up early to do a bit of work (I've scaled back this week), then walking down to the sandbars, settling in with a book and watching the waves roll in. A late afternoon drive to the local vegetable stand, maybe a stop for some fresh seafood -- I could easily settle into a whole summer of working like this.
I'll continue on this path as the summer goes on. Some of the plans actually do include work goals, too!
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