California Farm Bureau earns national communications honors

» July 6, 2006 «

Rural crime, the California spotted owl and winemaking monks all served as the topics for award-winning work from the California Farm Bureau Federation Communications/News team. The Farm Bureau communications staff earned five first-place awards in the nationwide American Farm Bureau Federation public relations awards, announced at the AFBF Information Conference in Del Mar.

"We're honored to have been recognized so many times by this prestigious group of communicators," CFBF Communications/News Manager Ann Schmidt-Fogarty said. "Our staff works hard every day to ensure that the stories of California family farmers and ranchers remain top-of-mind for Farm Bureau members, opinion leaders, reporters and the public."

A four-part series on the devastating impact of rural crime, published in the Farm Bureau weekly newspaper Ag Alert®, earned two honors: a first-place award as Best News or Feature Series for reporter Christine Souza and an honorable mention for graphic design. The series detailed the toll on rural California from crimes such as theft, illegal dumping and illicit drug manufacturing.

A striking photograph of a California California spotted owl, which appeared on the cover of the Farm Bureau magazine California Country®, earned a first-place award in the Best Single Photo category for reporter Kate Campbell. The photo accompanied her story, which brought new attention to the fact that the spotted owl thrives in newer-growth timberlands.

A California Country story by Christine Souza about winemaking monks in Northern California--and the woman whose grape-growing techniques helped the monks make their farming operation an economic success--won the Best Feature Story category.

A creative California Country recipe layout, featuring two Southern California barbecue chefs in boxing gloves for a mock "fight" about who creates the tastiest recipes, earned the AFBF award for Best Use of Photos.

The California Farm Bureau 2005 annual report, which used the theme "Building Momentum Through Action" to highlight the contributions of the organization's volunteers, officers and staff, won the AFBF award for Best Pamphlet or Brochure.

The CFBF Communications/News team earned two additional honorable mentions in the AFBF awards. A California Country story about screenwriter-turned-wine-marketer Kate MacMurray earned an honorable mention for Best Video Feature Story. An interactive page on the Farm Bureau Web site, www.cfbf.com, which allows users to see how a state proposal could affect their auto insurance rates, earned an honorable mention for Best Internet Feature.

The California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization, works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 88,000 members.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.