Hi. My name is Robyn and I’m a city girl. I feel it only appropriate to warn you about that before I dig deeper into my background.
I moved to Saskatoon from Regina less than a month ago and the traffic here scares me. I have one dog, no siblings, a handful of friends I miss like crazy, and two parents who have empty nest syndrome. I’m currently a fourth year journalism major at the University of Regina who started her university career as an insistent English major.
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I’m an author who likes the sound of crunching fall leaves, chocolate chip muffins and long walks on the pavement. I spend too much time reading books — lots of books — and I have an irrational love for Margaret Atwood’s writing.
You’re probably asking yourself how a girl who’s never been on a farm ended up as an intern at an agricultural paper. It’s a long story, most of it involving a phone call and slight hyperventilation, but the ending remains the same: I’m here and ready to learn what any ag enthusiast and farmer has to teach me. Think of me as a sponge. A very, very dry sponge with glasses that make her look like Velma from Scooby Doo.
I may not know my way around a tractor, but I do know my way around print journalism. I have worked for the Regina Leader-Post, The Carillon, Metro, and CanCulture. I could possibly pass on the radio with my limited skills, but don’t ask me to film your wedding.
I love writing and I love talking to people, so journalism seemed like the perfect hybrid. I can’t say I regret my choice.
Everyone has a story out there, most of them untold. I feel like my job is to tell these stories. Think of me as your messenger. I have no ties to any farming companies or brands and I know little about the Canadian agriculture scene. You won’t get any biased reports from me.
All I want is the ability to tell a truthful story. With your help, I can better share these stories with the people who need to hear them most: you.
I can share your stories, but you can do a great deal more for me. The closest I ever got to a farm was nine years ago at an animal shelter that happened to be on a farm. There were cows, so it counts. I think I still have the bite marks from the baby raccoons.
So please, talk to me on Twitter; @RobynTocker or Facebook, by email at Robyn.Tocker@producer.com or by phone. I want to talk to you and I hope you want to talk to me, too.
