The Paul Beingessner Award for Excellence in Writing
Working with the family of Paul Beingessner, the National Farmers Union has established an annual literary prize in honour of Paul and his contribution to rural and agricultural journalism.
Paul Beingessner
was a farmer, an activist, and a writer who defended Canada’s family farms until his tragic death in a farm accident in the spring of 2009. His widely-read and respected weekly columns brought a fresh and progressive perspective to rural and farm issues.
The Beingessner Award is named after Paul Beingessner of Truax Saskatchewan, who passed away in the spring of 2009 in a tragic farm accident.
Paul was born on April 26, 1954, and returned to the family farm after obtaining his BA (Hon) in Psychology in 1976 and working with youth in Regina for a few years. Described as the “god-father of modern shortline railways” by former NFU President Stewart Wells, Paul was instrumental in the founding of Saskatchewan’s first shortline railway, Southern Rails Co-operative, and served as general manager from 1991 to 1997. When he left Southern Rails, he stayed on as a board member, and worked with the Ministry of Highways Short Line Advisory Unit supporting other efforts of farmers to start shortline railways. Since 1991, Paul wrote a weekly column on farming and transportation issues with a social justice focus featured in papers across Western Canada. After leaving the government in 1999, his expertise on transportation issues resulted in consulting work across Western Canada and the United States. Beingessner also served as a Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Delegate from 1996 to 1998, and was an ardent supporter of the CWB and ran for the position of director in 2008.
Visions For A Just Farmland Future – 2024 Submission Form
A Narrative Project brought to you by the Paul Beingessner Award for Excellence in Creative Media & the Youth Caucus of the National Farmers Union
Are you a young farmer or farmworker, or someone who aspires to be? Have you been challenged with accessing land? We want to hear from you.
Currently a huge shift is happening in agriculture. Over the past 30 years, the average age of farmers in Canada / Turtle Island has continuously risen, while the total number of farmer operators plummets. Young growers are struggling to step into these crucial agricultural roles due to multiple barriers–access to land being one of the biggest. This is increasingly moving the control of our food systems from the hands of sustainable growers and community members into the hands of large corporations. Some would like us to believe that this change is happening because “nobody wants to farm anymore.” If this were the case, then the solution would have to be the accumulation of farmland into mega-farms with mega-machinery and mega inputs–a very profitable proposal for whoever is selling these products.
But we know this narrative isn’t true. As the Youth Caucus of the National Farmers Union, we hear from young people every day who dream of making a life on the land, growing food for themselves and their communities, and transforming the social, economic, and political context in which we grow. We are also learning more about our settler-Indigenous relationships and the ongoing impacts of colonization on the Indigenous people of Turtle Island and displaced peoples around the world. We know that the decline in farmers and farm workers is not due to a lack of desire, but rather a lack of access to the ingredients that make farming possible–land, capital, knowledge, legal rights, and community. With the population of farmers in Canada / Turtle Island approaching only 1% of the whole population, we need politicians and everyone who eats to hear our stories.
If we want our representatives and communities to act with us, we need them to understand just how many people would be farming if they could be and what’s getting in their way. We need to show them alternative visions for our food system, beyond a mega-farm take-over. We need to collect as many stories from our young, struggling, and aspiring farmers and farm workers as possible. We need you to share YOUR experience and your vision.
So please tell us:
What would a just farmland future look like for you?
For your community?
And for the world?
Help us advocate for a more equitable farming future for all by filling out the form below and answering these questions.
Note: Participants under 30 will be entered into a contest to win 1 of 2 $500 prizes through the Paul Beingessner Award for Excellence in Creative Media. Paul was a farmer, an activist, and a writer who defended Canada’s family farms until his tragic death in a farm accident in the spring of 2009. We honour his memory by continuing to advocate for farmers through writing and other forms of creative media.
If you are above the age of 30, you are more than welcome to still share your story with us.
Award Criteria and Details:
Two age categories: 15 to 21 years old, and 22 to 30 years old. $500 to one winner in each category. Written or audio/visual (I.e., photo collage or video with audio) responses will be accepted. Written responses must be between 500- 1,000 words. Audio/visual submissions must be a minimum of 5 minutes.
All or some entries may be published by the National Farmers Union.
Deadline for entries is November 8, 2024.
The prizes of $500.00 will be awarded at the NFU Convention in November 2024.
