By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Three Michigan journalists were honored at the 90th Michigan Farm Bureau Meeting as the organization’s 2009 Agricultural Communicators of the Year.

Jessica Dudenhofer, staff writer with The Daily News in Greenville, was recognized for her outstanding work connecting local readers with Montcalm County’s prosperous agriculture industry. For their focus on covering agriculture in West Michigan, Grand Rapids Press Business Editor Nancy Crawley and Freelance Writer Matt Vande Bunte also were selected as award recipients. All three were honored at a luncheon on Dec. 3.

The Agricultural Communicator of the Year Award honors journalists and other media professionals for outstanding work helping to “tell the story of agriculture” by informing and educating the non-farming public about the state’s second-largest industry.

The Montcalm County Farm Bureau nominated Dudenhofer for the honor, citing the writer’s interest in a quiet industry that annually pumps more than $105 million into the local economy.

“She gets the public interested in agriculture,” said Chris Rader, a Lakeview grain and bean farmer, and past president of the Montcalm County Farm Bureau. “Jessica has always presented all the facts so the readers can understand just what local agriculture is really like. She doesn’t just report on each event or farm – she uses her own photos and really gets into each story.”

Dudenhofer grew up on a small family farm and spent much of her youth participating in the local 4-H program. With her local roots and a deep understanding of the area’s diverse farming community, Dudenhofer has engaged The Daily News’ 8,000 readers by reporting on topics such as beekeeping, apple cider production and corn harvest. She also kept readers current on two local celebrities – a rare pair of twin colts born on a local farm – and “adopted” a local dairy farm for a series of in-depth articles examining the operation in detail. After earning a degree in print journalism from Bob Jones University in 2007, Dudenhofer returned home and began work at The Daily News.

“I grew up around here and was considered ‘the farm girl,’” Dudenhofer said when asked how she landed The Daily News’ farm beat. “It has been a pleasure getting to better know the agricultural community in Montcalm County. I’m excited to cover every agricultural story that comes along. I love being able to explain to people, for example, what goes into making a jug of apple cider. It’s actually really complicated, but they don’t always think about what went into producing it.”

Crawley and Vande Bunte were nominated by the Kent County Farm Bureau in recognition of their consistent, in-depth coverage of the region’s farm economy.

With Crawley’s story assignments and editing steering Vande Bunte’s coverage, the Press over the past year has provided its 130,000 readers with reporting on a variety of agricultural issues including cranberry shortages, farm business succession, agritourism, the economics of honey production and the recession’s effect on local apple growers.

Crawley’s interest in agriculture dates back almost 30 years to when she first covered farm issues for the Battle Creek Enquirer shortly after graduating from college. Following stints at the Lansing State Journal, and as an instructor at Ferris State University, she settled in Grand Rapids more than 23 years ago.

“The Press places a great deal of emphasis on business news, and in that universe, agriculture and food processing are major players in western Michigan,” Crawley said. “We cover it aggressively and try to make sure we’re in touch with the processors and the growers. There’s a big variety and big money in this area.”

Crawley routinely turns to Vande Bunte for agriculture coverage. “Matt’s a freelancer and one of four business writers at the Press. He’s always done an excellent job on ag stories, and never has a problem finding sources,” she said.

Vande Bunte grew up near Hudsonville, shortly after his family divested from its multi-generational interest in a farm-related business.

“My grandpa and his brother ran Vande Bunte Brothers Produce, a celery and onion distribution company,” Vande Bunte said as he addressed attendees at the Farm Bureau luncheon. His father was involved in packaging and brokering both produce and farm machinery, but left the business when Vande Bunte was very young.
After graduating from Calvin College with a degree in political science, Vande Bunte began his local journalism career covering sports for Jenison-based Advance Newspapers before starting to work with the Grand Rapids Press about nine years ago.

“Every agricultural assignment has been really educational,” he said. “In just four generations, my family went from being farmers to being completely not farmers.

“I’m just like anyone else buying food at the store and not giving it a second thought. By writing about agriculture, though, I’m able to give our readers a better sense of where it all comes from,” he said. “Plus it’s a great assignment … the people I meet – the farmers — they all tend to be pretty delightful people.”

Among those people is Annie Link, the Alto dairy farmer and Kent County Farm Bureau communications volunteer who nominated Crawley and Vande Bunte for the award.

“It’s nice to have somebody who is excited about what we’re doing and what’s going on in agriculture,” Link said. “Matt has covered many different aspects of our industry, and covered them thoroughly. He’s not just giving you the story from the farmers’ side, but taking it one step further and going to the processors and the retailers. He brings things full circle. He asks all the right questions. He digs deep and knows what the readers want.”