Dan Crummett, 2005-06 president of American Agricultural Editors Association, died June 23.
By Pam Caraway, ACN Past President
Crummett died June 23 in Ponca City, Okla. He was 78.
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“It’s tough – even impossible – to explain how bad things can happen to good people, and how, sometimes, even good people can’t prevent those things from happening.”
So begins a letter from Dan Crummett to my son following a layoff in 2001. Russ was in 6th grade. “Mr. Dan” was the fellow who had to carry out the layoff.
Dan wrote a letter to parents, after their daughter moved across the country to work on his team. He wrote letters to affirm belief. He wrote letters to ease pain, to underscore joy, to give somebody something solid to hold onto, to read, reread, then read again. He wrote as though the written word were still the sole lifeline connecting distant souls across vast expanses of geography and time.
And today, as people who knew and loved him move forward in lives that no longer include the man, that gravelly voice rumbles forth from the written page.
Crummett, 78, died June 23. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jerrie Sue, daughters Jami Pittman (Jeremy) and Jill Longan (Gary), and five grandchildren.
A military veteran, intrepid speedboat racing captain, talented writer and fearless editor, Crummett was a man of faith who made a difference in the lives of many. During his tenure at Farm Progress from 1984 to 2013, he built a reputation as a legendary figure in agricultural journalism, known equally for his editorial excellence and his genuine care for the people around him.
During his tenure, primarily as executive editor of Texas Farmer-Stockman (no longer published) and eight other magazines, Crummett also served the ag media community. In 2006, he was president of the American Agricultural Editors Association, now the Agricultural Communicators Network.
In addition to agricultural journalism, Crummett also worked in newspapers for the Associated Press and in promoting Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. A double alum, Crummett was convinced the latter was the center of the universe.
Following his retirement from Farm Progress, Crummett launched DMC Communications and continued his track record for award-winning journalism. His numerous awards across the writing spectrum most recently include an honor bestowed earlier this year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors for his story, How Soil Testing is Evolving into ‘Predictive Agronomy.’
His commitment to serving farmers and ranchers, particularly in the Southwestern United States, defined his professional life. He understood the agricultural audience as well as anyone in the industry and built his legacy around delivering useful, relevant information to those who worked the land. He was especially committed to the cause of conservation tillage.
He held an even deeper commitment to cultivating people, many of whom just happened to be writers. Farm Press Executive Editor Brad Haire recalls the advice his new boss gave him many years ago: “I’ve reused this quote from him many times over the years: ‘We haven’t published a blank page yet, and we don’t plan on it. You’ll get your pages. Fill them with good stuff for the readers, and you’ll do just fine.'”
Crummett was known for his mentorship and willingness to guide people, both young and old, through challenging situations at work and in life.
Wallace’s Farmer Editor Gil Gullickson recalled an early career experience when he found himself unprepared for a confrontational radio interview about a controversial editorial he had written.
“Dan seemed to know about this world when I told him, and there was something kind of soothing but yet stern when he said, ‘Well, you know, Gil, there is this thing called the Web where you can check these guys out before you go on a program like that,'” Gullickson remembered.
Outside of work, Crummett enjoyed spending time with family, his loyal dog Lili, hunting, hydroplane boat racing, vacationing in the mountains, and exploring trails on his Polaris Ranger. He was an active member of Countryside Church along with the men’s group there.
Writer and rancher Alan Newport became friends with Crummett while a student at OSU. Friends is perhaps too small a word. “He was my big brother, and a Christian brother, a mentor and a friend,” Newport said. “We always thought we were kind of a bad and good influence on each other.”
Tom Bechman, retired editor at Indiana Prairie Farmer, has no doubt what kind of influence Crummett was on those blessed to know him. “The world is a better place because Dan Crummett was here,” Bechman said, “and I am a better person for having known him.”
Crummett lived a full life—one marked by service to his country, adventure on the water, dedication to his craft, and devotion to his faith and family. His colleagues thought him immortal, a testament to the lasting impact he made on everyone he encountered.
And perhaps he is. Those written words – not those that were published and lifted up for recognition, but those that were private messages sent from the depths of his heart and wrapped in his faith in his friend and his Lord – will be revisited. And in those words, he gave many the bricks to continue building a sound path in an uncertain world.
“Sometimes tough times come to test our ability to lean on God and His promise to take care of us,” Crummett wrote to that young boy. “I’m praying for [you and your mom] that soon, very soon, you can look at all this turmoil just before Christmas as an experience that showed you God is faithful to take care of our needs in everyday life.”
And with that, the good and faithful servant closed the letter.
– Caraway is editor of Farm Futures