March 29, 2024

Celebrating Youth in Agriculture: Still time to submit photos for online contest

LA SALLE, Ill. — Haven’t had time to submit your photos for the Celebrating Youth in Agriculture contest? Don’t fret. You now have until Sept. 16 to join the celebration.

Last year, after the cancellation of county fairs and state fairs, AgriNews launched its own 4-H contest online. This year, the contest has been expanded to also include FFA.

So, get out your camera or camera phone and post those pictures of your children and grandchildren with their 4-H and FFA projects now on the website — qr.shawlocal.com/youthinag21 — to help recognize the youths’ talent, effort and skill. Photos can be uploaded in six categories.

Then, from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1, everyone can vote for their favorite in each category. A panel of 4-H and FFA judges will also pick their favorites.

Twelve winners — the people’s choice and the judges’ favorite in the six categories — will each receive a $50 gift card. The winners and a collection of other entries will be published in a special section of AgriNews on Oct. 15.

Entrants will be asked to share basic information, such as name, 4-H club or FFA chapter, and describe the project in their photo. They also will be asked why that project is important to them.

The categories are:

• 4-H Livestock: beef, cats, dairy cattle, dairy goats, dogs, horses, meat goats, poultry, rabbits, sheep, small pets, guinea pigs, swine, and veterinary science.

• 4-H Crops & Conservation: crops, horticulture, plant and soil science, entomology, beekeeping, forestry, geology, environment, natural resources, outdoor adventures, sportsfishing, wildlife, weather, and shooting sports.

• 4-H Foods & Nutrition: cooking, food decorating, food preservation, food science, sports nutrition, and health.

• 4-H Arts & Crafts: communications, creative writing, journalism, public speaking, interior design, photography, theater arts, video, visual art,; aerospace, bicycles, clothing, computer science, electricity, robotics, small engines, drones, tractors, welding, and woodworking.

• Mini 4-H — Youth in Kindergarten through Second Grade, sponsored by NDY Manufacturing: alpaca; archery; bicycle; bugs and entomology; cake decorating; collecting; crafts; dinosaurs; electric; farm animals; flowers and plants; foods; forestry; garden; horse and pony; models; pets; photography; robotics; sewing; sun, stars and space; weather; whales and dolphins; wildlife adventure; and woodworking.

• FFA Experiences: placement or internship; ownership or entrepreneurship; experimental, analysis or invention research; school-based enterprise; and service learning.

Youths can enter multiple categories. Projects must have been completed between Aug. 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021.

James Henry

James Henry

Executive Editor