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LANSING, June 18, 2001 - Eileen and J. Carl Ganter of Traverse City-based MediaVia LLC, have won the Ben East Prize "for excellence in conservation journalism" for their creation of "With These Hands," a documentary project that follows the lives of four area farmers. The award was presented Saturday by the 120,000-member Michigan United Conservation Clubs at its annual meeting in Lansing. MUCC is one of the largest, oldest and most diverse conservation groups in the state and produces the "Michigan Out-of-Doors" magazine and television program.
The "With These Hands" project takes a personal look at four regional farm families who quietly touch the lives of those around them.
"'With These Hands' is meant as the overture in a dialog that informs and inspires a community's relationship with the family farm, the bedrock of our cultural landscape," co-producer Eileen Ganter told the diverse audience, which included state representatives, sportsmen and philanthropists. "By sincerely and sensitively considering the stewards of our agricultural ethic, the family farm, we hope to show that there is, indeed, no place like home."
The Ben East Prize competition recognizes excellence in natural resource conservation journalism. Michigan United Conservation Clubs sponsors the awards for outstanding reporting on conservation, environmental protection, or outdoor recreation in Michigan. Winners receive engraved trophies and a stipend to support the conservation effort of their choice in Michigan.
The prize is named for the late Ben East, a noted Michigan outdoor writer and a founder in 1937 of MUCC, a statewide non-profit that unites citizens to conserve Michigan's natural resources and protect our outdoor heritage.
"With These Hands" includes a 35-minute video, 52-page color magazine, website, radio series and traveling photo exhibit.
The project was awarded "best of show" and took six other top honors last month in the Northern Michigan Ad Club's MAX Awards presented at the Leelanau Sands Casino Resort, and has been featured on the Channel 5 News, the Chicago NBC-owned affiliate. The project's website at www.with-these-hands.org was chosen as the prestigious Shockwave Site of the Day and Yahoo Site of the Day. Photographs from the project took top honors in the Michigan Pictures of the Year competition among state newspapers and magazines, as well as "award of excellence" in the Pictures of the Year International photojournalism contest.
The Ganters and MediaVia produced the project in association with the Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Old Mission land conservancies. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation provided primary funding with additional support from the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. A range of local and national sponsors included Cherry Republic, FujiFilm USA, Marantz-Superscope, Digieffects, Computer Haus/Apple Computer, and LaCie Limited. Ethos Media of Sausalito, Calif. designed the website and magazine, and provided technical and support services.
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