The BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM) invites British Columbians to show their appreciation for local farmers in the form of a poem - a haiku, a ballad, an ode or a limerick, the style is up to you. Novice and experienced writers alike are invited to submit their best agriculture-inspired poems to the second annual Ode To A Farmer Poetry Contest, in honour of Farmers Appreciation Week September 8-15, 2014.
The grand prize winner will receive a $150 gift certificate to the BC farmers’ market of their choice. To celebrate the diversity of BC’s agriculture, contest judges will select a grand prize winner, plus one winning poem in each region of BC: Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Northern British Columbia, Thompson Okanagan, Vancouver, Coast and Mountains and Vancouver Island.
Winning regional authors will receive a $50 gift certificate to the BC farmers’ market of their choice. The contest is open to all British Columbia residents. Submissions will be accepted online or by mail until Sunday, Sept. 7, at 11:59 p.m.
“BC farmers are our best source for fresh, healthy, local food,” says Jon Bell, BCAFM President, “and the Poetry Contest is a means to express our gratitude for BC farmers and all the ways they contribute to our health, communities and economy.”
Three accomplished BC writers will judge the contest. Tamara Leigh is a freelance agriculture journalist, President of the BC Farm Writers Association, and FarmHugger blogger based in the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island. Renée Sarojini Saklikar is author of the thecanadaproject. Her work appears in various literary journals, newspapers and anthologies, including Geist and Contemporary Verse 2: The Canadian Journal of Poetry and Critical Writing (CV2). Ronda Payne is an accomplished agricultural writer and reporter. She is a regular contributor to Country Life in BC and various other publications.
To find out more go to: www.bcfarmersmarket.org.