Guild member Tim Relf is leaving Farmers Weekly to pursue freelance opportunities in agricultural journalism and PR.
After 20 years in a variety of editorial roles at the title, Tim will be swiping out of FW’s head office in Sutton at the end of September.
He will be working as ‘The Operative Word’, the media company he founded with his wife, former FW staffer Isabel Davies.
A Wye College graduate – and the 2013 winner of a Guild Yara Journalism Award – Tim has covered everything from features about mental health issues in the countryside to lighthearted pieces about Young Farmers. He’s run FW’s social media accounts, managed a large stable of columnists, led editorial projects and competitions, overseen supplements and launched spin-off products.
He also has a career as a novelist and his latest book, What She Left, was published by Penguin in the UK and went on to sell to publishers in 20 other countries.
“Farmers Weekly is a fantastic place to work and I’ve loved every minute of my time here, but Isabel and I want to relocate from London to the Midlands,” he says. “Just to emphasise how long ago I started at FW, Gillian Shepard was running MAFF and the Spice Girls were in the charts!”
Tim, who has a particular interest in farm diversifications, food and young people’s issues, will be providing editorial and PR services to the rural sector. He’ll also be running media training courses.
“It’s hugely exciting to be involved with the two best industries in the world, farming and publishing, at a time of such rapid change,” he says.
Contact him on 07974 265456 or on Twitter at @timrelffw
