BC Farm Writers' Association

February 2025 Newsletter

David Schmidt Legacy Committee with David's family members at the official launch of the David Schmidt Legacy Fund and Award. Left to right: John van Dongen, Ruth Schmidt, John Schmidt, Linda Schmidt, Kathleen Gibson, Cheryl Davie and Albert Schmidt. Absent: Committee members Tamara Leigh and Peter van Dongen. Photo by Tars Cheema.

David Schmidt Legacy Fund and Award Update

The David Schmidt Legacy Fund and Award were officially launched at the BC Agriculture Gala on January 23, 2025 and promoted at the Pacific Agriculture Show. As well as social media coverage from the launch, Peter van Dongen’s news release was picked up by the Chilliwack Progress (which posted an article) and — via the Black Press network — the Abbotsford News, Mission City Record, Agassiz-Harrison Observer and Hope Standard. Small Farm Canada also wrote a story. In addition, Country Life in BC has generously offered a free ad in its March 2025 issue to support the fundraising effort.

The David Schmidt Legacy Committee presented its report to the BCFWA AGM on January 24, 2025. We were honoured to have four members of David’s family with us and very touched by their interest and gratitude.

The Committee held its final meeting February 6, 2025. Committee members Cheryl Davie, Kathleen Gibson, Tamara Leigh, John van Dongen and Peter van Dongen are taking care of the few remaining fundraising tasks. The work of managing the David Schmidt Legacy Fund and administering the process for the David Schmidt Legacy Award now passes to the incoming Directors of the Tim Armstrong Educational Foundation.

David Schmidt Legacy Fund Donations

The David Schmidt Legacy Fund is now officially open for donations. Now — immediately post-launch — is the best time to broadcast requests for support. Please encourage your contacts to consider a donation to build the fund!

NOTE: Any donations made to the David Schmidt Legacy Fund up to February 28, 2025 can be credited to the 2024 tax year.

Introducing Our 2025 Board of Directors

During the BCFWA AGM on January 24, 2025, our 2025 board was elected. Positions and additional responsibilities are as follows:

President: Amanda Brittain

One-year limited term.

Vice-President: Vanessa Farnsworth

Monthly newsletter, social media & website updates.

Secretary & Past-President: Ronda Payne

Dropbox project & assisting new president.

Treasurer: Tars Cheema

Outgoing treasurer Cheryl Davie to assist Tars with transition.

Director at Large: Madeleine Baerg

Director at Large: Julia Smith

CFWF Representative: Myrna Stark Leader

David Schmidt Committee Chair: Kathleen Gibson

Membership Renewals Still Going Strong

A huge thanks to everyone who has renewed their membership for 2025. We are thrilled with our new payment system and how much easier it has made it for us to process renewal fees. Thank you to outgoing treasurer Cheryl Davie for making that happen! Our membership currently stands at 29, a notable increase over the number of renewals by the same date last year.

For those of you who have yet to renew, we strongly encourage you to remit your dues before the end of February. Invoices for 2025 memberships were emailed on December 10, 2024. If you didn’t receive yours, please check your spam folder for a "WAVE" invoice or contact us and we will gladly send you a replacement.

BCFWA members as of February 10, 2025:

• Kate Ayers
• Clayton Botkin
• Amanda Brittain
• Megan Cary
• Tars Cheema
• Bob Collins
• Cheryl Davie
• Vanessa Farnsworth
• Tracey Fredrickson
• Kathleen Gibson
• Cathy Glover
• Martina Graf
• Anna Helmer
• Barbara Johnstone
• Anna Klochko
• Jordan Marr
• Bob Mitchell
• Peter Mitham
• Rhandi Neal
• Ronda Payne
• Amanda Poelman
• Julieanne Puhallo-Brown
• Brenda Lee Schoepp
• Julia Smith
• Myrna Stark Leader
• Colette Turgeon
• John van Dongen
• Peter van Dongen
• Peter Wilding

Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursary Awarded

Congratulations to Tanner Johnson and Danielle Groenendijk on being named the 2024 recipients of the Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursary! This year, because the fund earned a healthy amount of interest, the committee agreed to give an award to both of these very deserving individuals.

You might remember Danielle’s name. She was the 2023 award recipient and because the same person can be gifted twice, she applied again for financial assistance to aid her pursuit of a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Once she completes the program, she will return home to Vancouver Island to work as a large animal vet for local farms – like her family’s dairy farm.

Tanner grew up in Kaleden, BC surrounded by vineyards and orchards. He’s studying horticulture at the University of Saskatchewan and wants to become the University’s horticultural extension specialist, helping to disseminate information from university studies to growers. He would fill the gap that came about when the previous extension specialist retired a few years ago. 

2027 CFWF Conference Planning Underway

BCFWA will be hosting the annual Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation conference in late September 2027, and we are looking for volunteers to sit on the organizing committee. If you’d like to participate in planning the event, please get in touch with us.

One of the first things we need to determine is where the conference will be held. So far, the Peace River Regional District (Fort St. John) and South Vancouver Island have been put forward as possible locations. If you can think of any other locations you would like us to consider, please drop us a line.

Please consider volunteering!