Edible South Florida took first place in Public Service Reporting for magazines in the 2017 Sunshine State Awards for its fall 2016 cover story, “Meet Your Farmworker.” The prestigious award from the Florida chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored writer Urmila Ramakrishnan and photographer Alfredo Añez for their work in reporting on the daily lives and challenges of farmworkers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants who have lived in South Miami-Dade for years. For the story, Ramakrishnan visited and spoke with the workers and their employers, while Añez went to the fields at daybreak to photograph the laborers picking okra.
“We’re grateful for this recognition,” says publisher Katie Sullivan. “When we set out to report this story last fall, when the debates about immigration were front and center, we thought it was important to put a face to the people who harvest the food we eat. What we discovered was a community of hard-working individuals who often put in 12-hour days, seven days a week, under grueling conditions.”
Sullivan says she heard from readers who appreciated finding out more about this segment of the South Florida workforce. “And we will be following up on this important story, too,” she says.
