Claudette Lacombe - Wordsmith

Claudette Lacombe, Farming Smarter Communication Manager, grew up thinking word play and a vast vocabulary were the secrets to success in life.

"My father was a master wordsmith. It was a good day if you could make dad laugh or concede, 'good one,' with something you said," explains Claudette. "I owe dad my love of and belief in a good turn of phrase."

Claudette was a consultant working with irrigation districts, watershed groups and rural organizations in 2004 when the Southern Applied Research Association Board members approached her to put together its annual magazine ≥ Farming Smarter.

"I said yes right away because I knew it would be a fascinating learning experience," she says. Seventeen years later, she's still learning and writing about agriculture by working with Farming Smarter Association.

All in at Lethbridge

In 2015, Claudette moved to Lethbridge and took on a full time position with Farming Smarter. She manages the magazine still, evolved the newsletter to an enews, tries to keep the website up to date and running smoothly. Claudette manages Farming Smarter's online presence through social media and YouTube. She comments that the changes in her job reflect the changes taking place in the information sphere.

"I'm not sure how many people understand the revolution we're in regarding how we get our information," Claudette says. She adds that how a person experiences the revolution will depend entirely on age and geographic location. She explains that the internet changed everything about news, information, and how people learn about the world around them.

"I also think the revolution continues and I may not live long enough to see the end of it. Revolutions take time," she laughs pointing out there was a time when very few people knew how to read. "Or spell, although spelling seems to be a perpetual problem for humanity."

Like a lot of writers, Claudette is an introvert, so you may not notice her, but she notices and hears you. She says that most people don't recognize when they have news or information others would find interesting and even helpful.

"I always pay close attention to conversations going on around me; especially at Farming Smarter," she says. "There's never a dull moment around here and a lot of brilliant minds."