Our creative team
PUBLISHER
Cathy Glover
Cathy was recruited as Country Life in BC’s beef editor in 1996. By 2000, she had taken on ad sales, and when publisher Peter Wilding retired in 2016, she “bought her job” and took over as publisher. Her life — then and now — revolves around press deadlines, a handful of Paint Horses and life on the family farm.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Peter Mitham
Peter has written for Country Life in BC since 2001. He currently serves as associate editor, bringing more than 25 years’ writing experience to the role. A former staff writer with Business in Vancouver, he is co-author of three books on real estate and recipient of two awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation.
EDITOR EMERITUS
David Schmidt
Officially retired (but occasionally coerced to file a story), David Schmidt has been covering BC agriculture since 1985. A past president of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, he is the recipient of numerous awards including lifetime achievement awards from the CFWF and the BC Dairy Historical Society.
WRITER - fraser valley
Ronda Payne
A writer since she could hold a pen, Ronda Payne believes everyone should be forced to take Agriculture 101 taught on a rainy day by a Lower Mainland farmer. She feels closer to those she writes about when she’s fighting pests in her garden and eating sun-warmed raspberries.
WRITER - okanagan
Tom Walker
Tom writes part time from his home in Kelowna. He enjoys listening to producers’ stories and turning them into print when he is not looking for powder snow, trout in the river or trying to make his grapes grow like the big guys!
writer - kelowna
Myrna Stark Leader
If you’ve got a story to tell, Myrna thrives on sharing it. As an award-winning, experienced freelance writer/photographer, Myrna joined the team in 2017. Writing about agriculture continues to inspire her – particularly innovation and stories that focus on the people who make agriculture great. As past-president and a current director of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation, she has strong connections with farmwriters across Canada.
WRITER - gulf islands
Barbara Johnstone Grimmer
Barbara lives and writes from her mixed family farm in the Gulf Islands. She raises sheep and hay and has recently planted a hazelnut orchard.
WRITER - north okanagan
Jackie Pearase
Jackie is a freelance writer and editor living and working in the North Okanagan
COLUMNIST - back 40
Bob Collins
Bob is not only an award-winning humourist, his down-to-earth commentary on the issues facing BC farmers and ranchers in The Back Forty is a must read every month.
columnist - jude's kitchen
Judie Steeves
Judie loves good local food, with maybe a stellar glass of BC wine alongside, and she’s willing to grow, cook and write about it, too. In fact, she’s been writing about BC agriculture for probably 50 years, but who’s counting? She’s also author of Okanagan Trips and Trails, Black Mountain Gold and Jude’s Kitchen.
COLUMNIST - RESEARCH
Margaret Evans
Margaret is an award-winning freelance journalist with a specialty in agricultural science and she has over 50 years’ experience as a writer. Her work is focused on the latest agricultural research, work being done to improve crop yields and livestock management, and studies that are helping plants cope better with pests, disease and drought. Kudos to all those brilliant scientists!
COLUMNIST - OP ED
Kathleen Gibson
Fascinated by the world of food, Kathleen has been writing about it and working on related public policy issues for over 30 years. A fruit and vegetable garden in Victoria beseiged by urban wildlife daily reinforces her respect for farmers.
columnist - farm story
Anna Helmer
Anna has been farming long enough that she can make time for writing. She tries to keep it interesting, entertaining and even accurate. Sometimes that means she can only write about potatoes, which she grows in Pemberton with her family.
production designer
Tina Rezansoff
Tina began creating impactful advertising design for CLinBC in 2016. She harnesses 25 years of graphic design, branding and digital marketing experience. This highly skilled layout artist has rural BC roots, and a passion for remote outdoor adventure. She spends her down time spoiling her chickens, gardening and crocheting.
