It's Sweet Seven for CAM

By CAM Team

Centre for Agricultural Media ( CAM ) enters into eighth year of its activities with an encouraging note from its associates and well-wishers. Nineteen of the twenty-eight candidates of the farm and rural journalism course have successfully completed the course this year. They will be honoured as ‘CAM Fellows’ on the occasion of the centre’s annual ceremony on November 25, 2007 at K.H. Patil Krishi Vijnana Kendra, Hulkoti near Gadag in Karnataka.

CAM awards for best farm writings in Kannada will also be conferred on the occasion. The programme also includes release of three books. Hulkoti MLA D.R. Patil and G.N. Mohan, News Head, ETv Kannada will be the chief guests on the occasion.

Farm journalism awards: In the practicing farmer category Balachandra Hegde Saimane’s ‘Mane manegalalli tentaa enne’ published in the July 2007 issue of Adike Patrike a farm monthly published from Puttur has bagged the award.

In the general category Girish H.C. and Ravishankara Doddamani have shared the award. The award winning article by Girish titled ‘Cholenahalli kereneerige panne raitare donnenaayakaru’ describes a unique water management system of Cholenahalli tank in Madhugiri of Tumkur district. Ravishankar Doddamani ’s article ‘Tenguraajyadinda bidirige shapamoksha’ is a case study of an organisation which has helped villages in Waynad district of Kerala to earn a livelihood by utilising the much-neglected bamboo.

Farm and rural journalism course: This time a record number of nineteen candidates have completed the course successfully. They will be honoured as ‘CAAM Fellows’ on the occasion. New fellows are: Anusuya Sharma, Ravishankara Doddamani, Akshayarama K., Harshavardhana Sheelavanta, B.T. Poshini, Nitin Muttige, Lalita Rao M.G., Srikanta, H.V. Divya, Dr. Siddhalinga Swami Hiremath, G. Shivanna, Jayaprasad Ballekere, Sudha Rayanagoudar, Hema Moraba, R.B. Hiremath, Shreeprakash, Chandrashekhar Kallimani, B.M. Lavakumar, and Dr. G.V. Muralikrishna. All of them have proven their skills in writing on issues related to farming and rural development. Some of them are already getting assignments from major farm journals and farm supplements.

Anusuya Sharma has been selected as the best candidate of the year. Harshavardhana Sheelavant’s dissertation on the ‘Traditional medicinal practices in Uttara Kannada’ has been chosen for a special prize for the exhaustive study and beautiful presentation.

A three-day contact programme for the fifth batch of farm and rural journalism course will be held from November 23 to 25. Twenty nine candidates have been selected for this year’s award. They include practicing farmers, scientists, agriculture officers, journalists, freelancers and students. Nagesh Hegde, ‘Shree’ Padre, H.N. Ananda, G.N. Mohan, Shivananda Kalave, L.G. Hiregoudar, Sathya S., Prakash Bhat, Poornaprajna Belur, Mallikarjuna Hosapalya, Anandatheertha Pyati, Ganadhalu Srikantha, G. Krishnaprasad and Shivaram Pailoor will be the resource persons. During the course, candidates will be given practical training on farm and rural journalism.

Development communication workshop: A workshop on development communication has also been arranged on November 24 and 25. Twenty-five participants have been enrolled for this workshop. The two-day workshop aims to orient participants on the concept of development communication, its significance, techniques of writing, and different forms of development journalism and mode of presentation in electronic media.
Book release: Three books will be released on the occasion. Anasuya Sharma’s dissertation on organic terrace gardens titled ‘Savayava Tharasi Tota: Ondu Inuku Nota’ will be published by CAM and released on the occasion. CAM with financial support from well-wishers has been planning to publish one dissertation every year in the form of a book.

Journalist Ganadhalu Srikantha who won the farm journalism award last year, for his article on Velvet Beans, a legume which is of multiple uses for farmers has written a comprehensive book on this topic. This book titled ‘Velvet Beans: Nelakke Jeeva Tumbuva Magic Balli’ will also be released on the occasion.
Another book ready for release on the occasion is CAM Fellow Rekha Sampath’s dissertation on ‘Sahaja Samrudha: Beledu Banda Dari’. This explains the formation and growth of Sahaja Samrudha, an organic farmer’s group in Karnataka.

For more Details: Centre for Agricultural Media,#119, 1st main, 4th cross,Narayanapura, Dharwad- 580 008, E-mail: caam@sancharnet.in ~ Web: www.farmedia.org: Cell: 9900517749