While farmers always have their hands full, they still take time to appreciate the beauty of nature around them. The 2019 calendar year was a challenging one for many farmers, but photographers shared their stories in the sixth National Corn Growers Association Fields-of-Corn Photo Contest.
This year, NCGA awarded two Grand Prizes. One was selected by a panel of judges, submitted by Harlen Persinger from Wisconsin with the photo titled “Solid Foundation.” A grand prize was also awarded for the single most popular photo, taken by Tricia Braid of Illinois, “Reflecting on 2019” which gained 1,272 likes on Facebook.
“These photos represent a combination of difficulty and optimism,” said NCGA Graphic Communications Manager Beth Musgrove. “With delays in planting and harvest for many, the contest was naturally off to a slow start, but the overall outcome gives us so much to look back on.”
“We continue to look at different ways to improve the contest by adding new categories. In 2018, we added the True Grit category to highlight the hard work farmers put in every day. We tweaked that for 2019 with the True Grit Women’s Edition,” Musgrove added.
In total, 23 prizes were awarded across seven categories ranging from farming challenges to growing field corn to the farm family lifestyle. Winners are determined through a combination of Facebook likes and consideration of a panel of judges.
Images submitted to the contest are valuable assets for NCGA in publications, social media channels and the website. The next Fields-of-Corn Photo Contest will re-open spring 2020.
To view the winning photos, click here.
