Our 2024 Executive
Ronda Payne | President
A writer since she could hold a pen, Ronda Payne is passionate about her craft. A regular contributor to Country Life in BC, Manure Manager, Orchard & Vine and a wide range of other publications both consumer and trade-facing, she also writes for businesses who need their story told (be it a case study, blogging or articles). Ronda continues to grow in her writing career while she joyfully lives in Maple Ridge in "yet another" renovation project home with her husband and pets. Her side passion is making damn tasty cider in the basement.
Amanda Brittain | Vice-President
Amanda Brittain is the Manager of Communications & Marketing for the BC Egg Marketing Board. Amanda has more than 20 years of communications experience with various organizations in BC. At BC Egg, Amanda is responsible for all communications and marketing activities including the e-newsletters, website, events and sponsorships. She concentrates on ensuring all activities are strategically planned and support BC Egg’s brand. She holds a master's degree in communications from Royal Roads University and is an Accredited Business Communicator with the International Association of Business Communicators.
Cheryl Davie | Treasurer
Cheryl Davie is an agriculture economist who loves to write. Proud to be the new communications and marketing specialist at AgSafeBC, she is also available for freelance work analyzing policy, economic impacts and agriculture-food markets. She is a big fan of plain language so if you need something shortened to one page, give her a call.
Myrna Stark Leader | BC Director to Canadian Farm Writers Federation
An experienced writer and accredited communications professional, and Saskatchewan transplant to Kelowna, Myrna contributes to Country Life In BC and additional publications and projects. Although she didn’t grow up farming (both sets of grandparents were grain farmers), she is intrigued and fascinated by the innovation, entrepreneurs and variety of issues in agriculture. Myrna’s goal is to help share information and stories in a way that resonates. She’s past-president and a former, long-serving director of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, a former Saskatchewan Farm Writers’ Association director and has been a trusted adviser to senior leadership on media and communications matters in municipal, provincial and federal gov’ts, as well as the private sector. Her work has been recognized with two IABC Gold Quill awards. Myrna loves her new home in BC and continues seeking new clients.
Madeleine Baerg | Director At Large
As Director of Content at Seed World Group, Madeleine oversees a suite of agriculture industry publications, including Seed World Canada, Seed World US, Seed World Europe, Seed World LATAM, Spud Smart and Alberta Seed Guide. She has 20+ years of communications experience, including 16 years working specifically in the ag sector. Madeleine is always keen to hear from skilled and experienced ag freelancers who might be interested in writing for one or more of the Seed World family of publications.
Vanessa Farnsworth | Director At Large
Vanessa began her working career as a horticulturist before transitioning to journalism where she got her start as an intern for Guelph, ON based The Grower, covering a wide range of matters relating to Ontario's fruit and vegetable industry. Now based in the Kootenays, Vanessa works as a freelance agriculture and environment writer with a strong interest in the points at which the two fields intersect: regenerative, sustainable, and organic farming practices. If it's green and growing, she's interested.
A writer since she could hold a pen, Ronda Payne is passionate about her craft. A regular contributor to Country Life in BC, Manure Manager, Orchard & Vine and a wide range of other publications both consumer and trade-facing, she also writes for businesses who need their story told (be it a case study, blogging or articles). Ronda continues to grow in her writing career while she joyfully lives in Maple Ridge in "yet another" renovation project home with her husband and pets. Her side passion is making damn tasty cider in the basement.
Amanda Brittain | Vice-President
Amanda Brittain is the Manager of Communications & Marketing for the BC Egg Marketing Board. Amanda has more than 20 years of communications experience with various organizations in BC. At BC Egg, Amanda is responsible for all communications and marketing activities including the e-newsletters, website, events and sponsorships. She concentrates on ensuring all activities are strategically planned and support BC Egg’s brand. She holds a master's degree in communications from Royal Roads University and is an Accredited Business Communicator with the International Association of Business Communicators.
Cheryl Davie | Treasurer
Cheryl Davie is an agriculture economist who loves to write. Proud to be the new communications and marketing specialist at AgSafeBC, she is also available for freelance work analyzing policy, economic impacts and agriculture-food markets. She is a big fan of plain language so if you need something shortened to one page, give her a call.
Myrna Stark Leader | BC Director to Canadian Farm Writers Federation
An experienced writer and accredited communications professional, and Saskatchewan transplant to Kelowna, Myrna contributes to Country Life In BC and additional publications and projects. Although she didn’t grow up farming (both sets of grandparents were grain farmers), she is intrigued and fascinated by the innovation, entrepreneurs and variety of issues in agriculture. Myrna’s goal is to help share information and stories in a way that resonates. She’s past-president and a former, long-serving director of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, a former Saskatchewan Farm Writers’ Association director and has been a trusted adviser to senior leadership on media and communications matters in municipal, provincial and federal gov’ts, as well as the private sector. Her work has been recognized with two IABC Gold Quill awards. Myrna loves her new home in BC and continues seeking new clients.
Madeleine Baerg | Director At Large
As Director of Content at Seed World Group, Madeleine oversees a suite of agriculture industry publications, including Seed World Canada, Seed World US, Seed World Europe, Seed World LATAM, Spud Smart and Alberta Seed Guide. She has 20+ years of communications experience, including 16 years working specifically in the ag sector. Madeleine is always keen to hear from skilled and experienced ag freelancers who might be interested in writing for one or more of the Seed World family of publications.
Vanessa Farnsworth | Director At Large
Vanessa began her working career as a horticulturist before transitioning to journalism where she got her start as an intern for Guelph, ON based The Grower, covering a wide range of matters relating to Ontario's fruit and vegetable industry. Now based in the Kootenays, Vanessa works as a freelance agriculture and environment writer with a strong interest in the points at which the two fields intersect: regenerative, sustainable, and organic farming practices. If it's green and growing, she's interested.
Meet a few of our other members
(in alphabetical order)
Kate Ayers
I am passionate about the ag industry, environmental sustainability, consumer education and healthy living! Fortunately, I have been able to combine these loves through researching, writing, posting content and running. I grew up on a cow-calf and cash crop operation in Central Ontario and have been a journalist in agricultural industry for five years. I regularly write for Country Life in BC and BC Holstein News. I am also pursuing my goals as an elite track athlete, training in Victoria.
Clayton Botkin
Clayton Botkin is a professional agrologist and one of Canada’s thirteen licenced poultry judges with the American Poultry Association. Clayton has raised and exhibited exhibition poultry for over 25 years across Canada and the United States. Clayton’s career has crossed among the various poultry sectors and government and offers significant experience in managing poultry, production, and disease. Clayton is nearly complete his One Health Masters degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, studying the interrelationship between animals, humans and the environment, with a focus on avian influenza. Recently, he completed a certificate in risk management at Simon Fraser University. Clayton is currently the project manager for the BC Poultry Industry Emergency Operations Center, and the project manager for the BC Small Flock Poultry Health, Biosecurity and Disease Prevention program among his many other volunteer and professional commitments.
Catherine Brown
Professional journalist, columnist and editor for livestock and agricultural publications since 1987, including the Ontario Farmer newspaper, The Western Producer, Ontario Produce Farmer, four Bowes (Now Glacier Media) Ontario livestock publications, Cattlemen's magazine and other cattle breed publications. Contributing Editor of the Canadian Hereford Association's national publication, The Canadian Hereford Digest, from 2009 to 2019. All the while I have partnered with my husband to manage a cattle herd. Now managing a ranch in the interior of BC, I am finishing the manuscript of my first book about life lessons learned through the lens of a cattlewoman, while still dabbling in some agricultural freelance work. I have an English and a Journalist degree and was the recipient of The Symons Essay Prize for the academic year 1990-91 at Trent University. Recipient of one Silver and one Bronze CFWF Award.
Megan Cary
I am the communications manager at BC Fruit Growers' Association. Prior to starting at BCFGA, I worked as a marketing coordinator for a currency exchange in Ontario. I obtained my Bachelor of Journalism from Thompson Rivers University in 2018. I have done freelance writing and marketing, or corporate communications for most of my career.
Tars Cheema
Tars is the publisher of BC Holstein News.
Kathleen Gibson
Four years with the BC Federation of Agriculture (1982-86) started Kathleen on a 30+ year quest for sustainable food systems and related public policy. She is a founding member of Food Secure Canada, the BC Food Systems Network and the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CR-FAIR). She has worked on policy files including supply management reform and development of BC’s graduated licensing system for meat processing as well as its provincial inspections. She has been a feature writer and editor for publishers DC Health and Wiley and currently contributes Viewpoint columns to Country Life in BC. Her fruit and vegetable garden in Victoria constantly reinforces her empathy for farmers.
Cathy Glover
From yearbooks in high school to editing newsletters (and eventually websites) for every horse club she belonged to, Cathy has never strayed far from publishing. Her first full-time job out of school was with Western Living. She was publisher, editor and chief bottle-washer of The Quarter Circle, a publication of the BC Quarter Horse Association in the early 80s. She was doing yet another newsletter (for the BC Angus Association) when she was recruited as Country Life in BC's beef editor in 1997 by then-publisher Malcolm Young. She upgraded to a more lucrative position in advertising sales when Peter Wilding bought the struggling publication in 2000. When Peter announced his retirement in 2016, after successfully bringing the paper back to life, Cathy "bought her job" and is now publisher. When she's not pounding the keyboard, she shows Paint Horses with her daughter from their farm in Enderby.
Anna Helmer
Anna is a farm story columnist for Country Life in BC.
Christine Koch
I've been actively involved in agriculture my entire life. I grew up on a family farm in Langley. After completing a BSc in agriculture economics at UBC, I worked at United Flower Growers, the BC Ministry of Agriculture, and the BC Agriculture Council. In 2012, I started as a consultant and I currently manage seven farm associations.
Anna Klochko
An experienced journalist from Ukraine, I've been in the media landscape since 2012, reporting on diverse topics like culture, science, and anthropology. From 2021, I have been specializing in agricultural journalism. While working in Ukraine, contributed to Kurkul.com, an online farming resource under Ukraine's largest agro media holding, Latifundist Media. There, I crafted multi-format text materials, curated photo projects, and hosted the YouTube channel. Prompted by the war in Ukraine, I relocated to Canada in 2022 and transitioned into freelancing for the reputable agricultural newspaper, Country Life in BC. In 2023, I briefly returned to Ukraine, collaborating again with Latifundist Media to document video reports on farms impacted by military operations. Since October 2023, I've come back to Vancouver again, with a great desire to reach a new level in agro-journalism.
Peter Mitham
Peter Mitham is a freelance contributor to trade and business publications in Canada and the US, primarily on real estate, agriculture and food. He is associate editor for Country Life in BC and a contributor to the Wine Analytics Report. His experience includes broadcast and digital media as well as print. Some of his earliest agriculture reporting was for the Fredericton Daily Gleaner and Farm Focus, a monthly farm paper in Atlantic Canada where his family is engaged in dairy and egg production. He lives in Vancouver.
Rhandi Neal
I am the Agricultural Partnerships Lead for The Greater Vancouver Foodbank. My goal is to educate farmers/producers about the Farmers Tax Credit which expires in January 2027. By effectively utilizing the Credit and capturing excess produce through donation, we can create a sustainable cycle where surplus food supports those in need, reduces environmental impact, and benefits local farmers and producers economically.
Amanda Poelman
I grew up on my family's dairy farm on Vancouver Island and have been excited about cows and the dairy business for as long as I can remember. In 2006, I graduated from Trinity Western University with a degree in Communications. Over the years I've had the opportunity to freelance for several agriculture publications, including the BC Holstein News (now Western Canadian Dairy News), Cowsmopolitan Dairy Magazine and Holstein International. I’ve also freelanced other ag marketing projects through my own business, Autumn Lane Communications. In 2024, I accepted a position as the Associate Editor of the Western Canadian Dairy News, which I started in July. I’m thrilled to merge my two passions of cows and writing, and connecting dairy farmers in the west! When I’m not at my computer, I can be found helping on the family farm, reading, or playing my saxophone with the Cowichan Valley Concert Band.
Sandra Tretick
Sandra is a freelance writer and communications specialist with a passion for sharing farmers’ stories and writing about farming and food. She is a former treasurer of the BC Farm Writers Association, contributes to Country Life in BC and tries to practice some of what she learns about farming on a homestead in the southern gulf islands.
Peter van Dongen
Born and raised on an Abbotsford dairy farm, Peter has been involved in the agriculture industry for his entire career as a consultant, journalist and business development professional. Peter is the business development manager for MNP’s Vancouver Island region and is also a member of the firm’s national agriculture business development team. Before joining MNP, he operated an agricultural communications firm and wrote for various farm publications including Country Life in BC, AgriSuccess Journal and AgKnowledge Magazine. He also led the industry outreach efforts for the Islands Agri-Food Initiative. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture, Peter was a founding member of the Islands Agriculture Show and co-chaired the 2008 Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation Conference in the Comox Valley.
Tom Walker
As a retirement gig, Tom enjoys talking with farmers and turning their stories into print. He is a regular contributor to Country Life in BC. In the past, his work has appeared in other Ag publications and for a number of years he wrote extensively for aquaculture trade magazines.
