Landscapes, 2015

Landscapes is the award-winning customer magazine for 14 rural lending cooperatives in the five-state Texas Farm Credit District. Click on the links below to see some of my articles.

Making an Entrance
Rural Entrances Put Pride and Purpose on Display
This story shared the variety of self-expression seen across the South and Southwest, and gave useful advice for designing an attractive, safe and functional entrance at a farm, ranch or rural home. It was paired with a photo feature on the same theme.
Summer 2015, Landscapes magazine

This won Third Place, Informative Investigative Feature, and Honorable Mention, Headline Writing, in the Cooperative Communicators Association’s 2016 Communications Contest.

Homegrown Success
The Jacoby family made a name for itself with a highly diversified farming, ranching and agribusiness operation in Central Texas, then branched out with a café in Melvin and a successful farm-to-table restaurant in Austin.
Summer 2015, Landscapes magazine

Patronage: A Conversation With Chief Financial Officer Don VandeVanter
Farm Credit institutions distribute patronage dividends to their borrowers, who own the cooperatives and share in the earnings when there is a surplus. I talked with the Capital Farm Credit CFO about this important aspect of the cooperative business model.
Summer 2015, Landscapes Capital Farm Credit centerspread

A Hot Market
Leaders in New Mexico’s chile industry and local cooperatives, the Ledbetters of Portales, N.M., connect with consumers by roasting fresh chile at farmers markets.
Winter 2015, Landscapes magazine