What is the overall mission of Offrange?
Though we hope the articles will be of interest to a broad audience, Offrange exists first for farmers, ranchers, and other food producers. We take their concerns and experiences as our starting point, but we also hope to tell their stories to anyone who cares where their food comes from. We adhere to traditional journalistic standards on requests for comment from all parties, and strongly encourage writers to back up claims with hard data and rigorous research.
Editorial GuidelinesDo you only cover agriculture?
Farming and ranching are our primary focus but Offrange also publishes stories about fisheries, meat production, natural resources, and public lands.
Does my story need to involve Ambrook, the parent company?
Not at all.
Can I write about another agtech company for Offrange?
Yes! We're interested in innovative advances across the ag world, including from startups. We prefer stories that explain the industry trends that make a new company or technology compelling, over profiles of a specific company.
Is there a place for opinion pieces on Offrange?
We publish opinion pieces and personal essays under our Perspective label. We keep a clear division between Perspective pieces and reported journalism, and all work will be clearly labeled as one or the other. Authors — particularly subject matter experts — are welcome to submit op-eds, especially pieces that provide a decisive argument on a topic or story we've covered recently. Weʼd also love to publish more first-person essays from farmers and other practitioners.
I have a story idea, but I'm not sure if it's a good fit. How do I know whether to pitch?
Please pitch us even if you're not sure about your idea! We want to support serious writing, and are happy to workshop compelling pitches before they're fully fleshed out. We are open to conversations about all types of coverage: trend pieces, personal essays, book reviews, narrative features, investigations, even photo essays. Agriculture touches on a broad range of sub-topics, so we're looking for articles on the politics, challenges, environmental impacts, labor issues, and tech innovations impacting the industry today. And, while agriculture faces an unprecedented number of challenges today, we do not limit our coverage to stories of hardship. Farming is fascinating and multi-layered, and we want our coverage to reflect the broadest range.
The best way to get a sense of an Offrange story is to look around the site!
Are there stories you are less interested in?
We don’t cover much breaking news — we’d rather publish “second day stories” on current events, providing context and analysis and specific angles.
We don’t do many single-subject profiles on specific farms, companies, or individuals.
We are a national publication. If a story is local, it should either be highly unique, only happening in one specific place (Example), or something with universal lessons and information for our broader audience (Example).
Offrange is not a trade publication, so we don’t publish stories on, say, corn yields or how to repair your own equipment.
We typically cover only U.S. agriculture, unless a global story has a strong domestic angle (Example), or something happening abroad that could be useful for farmers here (Example).
What information should I include in the pitch?
An ideal Offrange pitch is 2-3 paragraphs long, and includes:
Subject matter overview
Why this story matters, and why we are telling it now
Which sources you would speak with, either specific individuals or something more broad (e.g., “livestock feed expert” or “small-scale apple farmer”)
Estimated length and turnaround time
Why you are the right person to report this story, including past experience and relevant writing clips
Do you accept photography pitches?
Yes! We love a good photo essay. Additionally, we encourage writers to take/provide their own photos. (Rates will increase if we use your original photos.)
What are your rates?
Offrange rates will vary depending on writer experience and the complexity of a particular story, but generally fall between $0.50 and $1.00 a word.
I still have questions!
Email research@offrange.org.