Saturday, Oct. 5

Making waves: dig into digital, the future of N.S. ag and more.

Breakfast

Cast the anchor

8 a.m. - CFWF Strategic Planning Session. How should CFWF invest in our future? Come and have your say.

Feature presentation: Digging Digital with Craig Silverman

9-11:30 a.m. - Craig Silverman is an award-winning author and journalist and one of the world's leading experts on online misinformation, fake news and media manipulation, at least, that’s the information we found online. But according to Craig, he’s going to give us over two solid hours of learning about the core digital tools and techniques that every journalist, editor and communicator can use. Learn how to background people, verify digital images and videos and to investigate websites. Make sure you have your laptop for in-time learning and examples.

Presented by award-winning Canadian Journalist Craig Silverman, this is an elite, featured workshop of the CFWF conference, designed to help all of us determine what’s authentic, what’s AI-generated and how to tell the difference and much more. Craig has been researching and investigating online rumours, fake news and mis/disinformation and media manipulation for more than a decade. He joined ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative newsroom, to continue his coverage of these topics. He was previously the media editor of BuzzFeed News.

Lunch

Stillwaters

12:30 - 1 p.m. - N.S. Ag by Numbers: The stats and numbers you need for your stories. Presented by Amber Creamer, Manager of Policy, N.S. Department of Agriculture.

Wave of the Future

1 - 2 p.m. - N.S. Ag Challenges and Opportunities. Panel discussion about the issues Nova Scotia farmers face, how they are dealing with them and opportunities in the future. Panelists: Jordan Eyamie, farm manager of Webster Farms, the first Mi’kmaq owned farm in the province; Lori Kittilsen of Kittilsen’s Honey Ltd.; Joseph Leck, President of the Sheep Producers Association of Nova Scotia; Carolyn Van Den Heuvel, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. Moderated by ACFWA Member Susanne Wagner.

Break

Make Your Copy Sparkle

2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - We’re bringing three of Canadian agriculture’s top writers and editors together for a fast-paced, quick-hit session on common writing errors, how to avoid them and ways to make your copy sparkle like the ocean on a sunshiny day. They’re ready to take your questions too, so get ready. Panelists: Karen Briere of the Western Producer, Ian Doig of GrainsWest and Jay Whetter of Canola Digest magazine and winner of the 2023 CFWF Story of the Year.

Cocktails

On your own at the hotel bar, or maybe it’s a chance to gather a group in your room and crack open a bottle of Nova Scotia wine or beer that you picked up while on your tour on Friday.

CFWF Awards Banquet

7 p.m. - Guild Hall, main floor, Atlantica Hotel

It's a big night! During the evening, we'll have dinner and, not necessarily in this order, we'll hear from the 2024 IFAJ Bayer Bursary winner, have a presentation from IFAJ, award the 2024 CFWF Lifetime Achievement Award, hear the Senator's Report, Launch CFWF 2025 and award the 2024 CFWF writing and photography awards. Let's celebrate! (beer and wine available for purchase during dinner).

Dancing

9 – 11 p.m. - Guild Hall

We’ll be streaming our favourite playlists as we celebrate the award winners.

Hospitality Suite

10 p.m. - Commons Room, Atlantica Hotel

Continue the celebration at the Hospitality Suite, plus, get in your last chance to visit with colleagues, network and make your business connections. Drinks and light snacks are on the house.