Dear Editor:

 

As part of the annual Farmers Appreciation Week, September 12th to 19th, the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM) is inviting British Columbians to submit their original poems to honour our local farmers.

Writers of all levels are encouraged to submit their agricultural themed-poems to the third annual Ode To A Farmer Poetry Contest by Sunday, September 13th.

The grand prizewinner will receive a $150 gift certificate to spend at the B.C. farmers’ market of their choice. Regional winners from the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Northern British Columbia, Thompson Okanagan, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains and Vancouver Island will also be chosen and awarded $50 gift certificates.

Submissions are being accepted online (find the link at www.bcfarmersmarket.org or go directly to http://goo.gl/By02y8) or by mail (ATTN: Poetry Contest, BC Association of Farmers’ Markets, 203-2642 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 3E6).

“Whether it be a haiku, sonnet, or limerick, we are looking for people to use their creativity through words to show their appreciation of local farmers who contribute greatly to our communities, health and well being,” says Georgia Stanley, BCAFM’s communications manager.

“There is a great tradition of writers finding inspiration from the land that is continued through the Ode To A Farmer contest,” says Tamara Leigh, president of the BC Farm Writers’ Association, and contest judge. “I look forward to seeing how people connect creatively with food and farming, and bring it to life in their poems.”

Along with the Ode To A Farmer Poetry Contest, the public can enjoy various activities in celebration of Farmers Appreciation Week that highlight the contribution B.C. farmers and local food make to our lives.

From parades and musical tributes, to farm equipment displays, there are events for people of all ages to enjoy at farmers’ markets across B.C. throughout the week.

The BCAFM is a not-for-profit association that represents 125 farmers’ markets across the province and works to support, develop and promote farmers’ markets in all regions of BC.

For more information on the BCAFM or to find a farmers’ market near you, visit www.bcfarmersmarket.org.

 

Georgia Stanley

Communications Manager

BC Association of Farmers’ Markets