The Western Producerhas opened a new bureau in Lethbridge, the eighth bureau that reports on agricultural news across Canada.
The southern Alberta location is part of a plan to provide more news to western Canadian farmers and ranchers through the newspaper, website, mobile and e-mail news delivery systems.
The bureau was opened at the beginning of 2011 byProducereditor Barb Glen, a native of southern Alberta who has been working at the newspaper’s headquarters in Saskatoon for the past 18 years.
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Glen will remain editor of the Produceruntil a new editor is named, which is expected within the next six weeks.
“TheProducerhas been planning to open a southern Alberta bureau for several years and now the time is right,” said Glen. “
Agriculture is so diverse here that I know there will be no shortage of news to report. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with farmers, ranchers and organizations in this area. And I hope they’ll call me with their ideas for news coverage.”
Glen grew up on a ranch near Lundbreck, Alta., and worked for weekly newspapers in Vauxhall, Picture Butte and Taber from 1984 to 1991, so she is familiar with the area.
As editor of Canada’s largest agricultural weekly, she is also well versed in agricultural issues.
TheProduceralso has Alberta bureaus in Calgary and Camrose. The newspaper’s other bureaus are in Regina, Brandon, Winnipeg (two locations) and Ottawa.
Larry Hertz, publisher ofThe Western Producer,said the diversity of ranching, cattle feeding, dry land and irrigated crops grown in the area warrants another bureau.
“When I first heard that our editor, Barb Glen, was interested in returning to southern Alberta to be closer to family, I was both excited to post a seasoned journalist in the new bureau and reluctant to see her leave the senior role in the editorial department,” he said.
“Barb has been instrumental in the growth and success of theProducer. Her connections and enthusiasm for agriculture will serve our readers and the industry in southern Alberta very well.
“More and more consumers have questions about the food they eat and where it comes from, so one of Barb’s key mandates will be to write for our sister Glacier Media publications throughout Western Canada.
“I believe theProducershould play a key role in informing the public about the quality and safety of the food our farmers and ranchers grow,” he said.
The new Lethbridge bureau can be reached at 403-942-2214, fax 403- 9422405 or by e-mail at barb. glen@producer.com.
