Two journalists chosen for IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders boot camp

Two North America agricultural journalists were selected for the 2015 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism award.
The journalists chosen for this year's 10th annual award are Candace Weeda, associate director of communications at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) in Denver, CO, and Trevor Bacque, publisher of Grains West, a first-of-its-kind, farm quarterly co-published by Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission in Canada. The award supports the winners’ participation in the IFAJ Congress and in an intensive journalistic boot camp-style workshop that will take place October 12- 13, prior to the IFAJ Congress in New Zealand.
As associate director of communication at NCBA, Weeda is responsible for the grassroots production of Cattlemen to Cattlemen, a weekly television show and Weeda’s main priority. She oversees sponsor relations, script and video production, marketing and promotion. She also contributes to print media properties for the association. Weeda graduated from Kansas State University in 2012 with a dual bachelor's degree in agricultural economics and agricultural communications and journalism.
Bacque graduated with distinction from the University of Calgary where he studied communications and journalism. Following his graduation in 2010, he worked as a reporter for two years before moving directly into agriculture as a communications coordinator for the Alberta Barley Commission. Bacque also served as associate editor of Barley Country, the commission’s newspaper before launching Grains West.
The boot camp was started by Alltech and IFAJ vice-president Owen Roberts of Canada. Since then, almost 90 young journalists have received the chance to strengthen their skills and expand their global network through the program.