Kate Benz

Crafting Stories that Celebrate Small Towns and Drive Community Growth

As a writer for Golden Shovel, Kate Benz takes ideas and concepts and transforms them into compelling narratives that capture attention and effectively communicate messages. She is passionate about elevating the unique aspects of small towns and highlighting the innovators within those communities. Her work spans various economic development projects, including website redesigns and community branding initiatives, where she brings out the character and potential of every place she writes about.

Kate's first non-fiction book, Nothing but the Dirt: Stories from an American Farm Town, was honored with the Kansas Notable Book of the Year Award in 2023. This book tells the story of a small rural town in Kansas, sharing how the community thrives through firsthand accounts from its residents. Kate is deeply committed to showcasing the inspiring aspects of rural America, making every town she writes about feel special and valuable.

Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Carlow University.

In addition to her work at Golden Shovel, Kate enjoys exploring content creation, focusing on finding the right tone, voice, and message that reflects each client's unique identity. When not writing, Kate enjoys kayaking at dawn, hiking through the woods, enjoying lunch under a pine tree, and taking long, romantic walks down the makeup aisle.