Journalist Sarah Todd is to join the ranks of agrifood and rural sector communications agency Jane Craigie Marketing (JCM), whose clients include BASF, ABP, QMS and the Oxford Farming Conference.
Sarah has been an award-winning writer for over 30 years; learning her trade in the local press before rising up the ranks to the role of glossy magazine editor.
She turned freelance in 2005 and has carved out a successful career writing about farming and rural life for the national and industry press.
“I am a farmer’s daughter and have my own smallholding, so it was a natural next step to specialise in writing about country life,” says Sarah.
“It’s been an absolute joy to get farming stories onto the pages of national publications such as The Daily Telegraph and I’ve always loved being able to promote the amazing people who work within the industry.”
Sarah, who is based in North Yorkshire, hadn’t been actively looking for a new challenge, but having had the milestone of her 50th birthday she had started to tentatively wonder whether she should push herself to try something new.
“It’s really exciting to be starting a new chapter at this stage in my life,” Sarah explained. “As a journalist I have long admired Jane and her team. They are a very professional outfit who know their subject – the rural sector – which makes all the difference when you are a reporter working on a story.”
Sarah adds that while she will be getting hands-on working with JCM’s clients as a senior communications account manager, she will still be very much be a writer at heart.
“I have been a columnist with the Yorkshire Post for many years and all credit to Jane that she is happy for me to continue with it and some other long-standing associations to get my fix of journalism.
“I am sure that I will have a lot to learn from the JCM team; not least getting to grips with new technology such as podcasts. Having an additional writer on the team will doubtless bring about some fresh ideas for JCM’s clients. Having worked as an editor, I know how many emails and press releases publications get bombarded with each day, so really understand the importance of building up relationships and grabbing publications’ attention.”
Jane Craigie said of Sarah, “Sarah has a wealth of experience in communicating everything about rural life and farming, from lameness in sheep, through farm diversification into the impact of policy change on farmers and thew wider industry. Sarah is a perfect fit for our team – talented, kind and perpetually curious, and also full of energy and can-do. We were so thrilled when Sarah got in touch to say she was keen to apply for the position.”
Sarah says another reason that appealed to her about joining JCM was Jane Craigie’s involvement serving on the council of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists.
“I have been a member of the Guild since I was 18,” explains Sarah. “I won a place on the first ever John Deere Training Award in 1991 and although I have paid my subscription every year I’ve always been too busy with journalism deadlines to get involved in events or give anything back to the industry.
“I have always wanted to attend the Guild’s annual Harvest Service at the journalists’ church, St Bride’s on Fleet Street in London, and it will be so special to finally make it – over 30 years’ late – to this year’s event with Jane and her team.”
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For further information about the appointment, or about JCM, please get in touch via hello@janecraigie.com