MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Agriculture announced the winners of the 2017 KDA Photo Contest on its Facebook page last week. Ten photographs were selected as the top entries, representing five contest categories. The annual statewide contest received nearly 240 entries showcasing Kansas agriculture.
Preliminary votes on Facebook and Pinterest were tallied according to the number of likes, comments and shares earned by each photo. The totals identified the top five photos in each category: Technology at Work, Animals of Agriculture, From Farm to Table, Beauty of the Farm and Youth. These photos were then reviewed by members of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture and agriculture leaders in the Kansas legislature.
“The KDA Photo Contest gives us the opportunity to recognize talented photographers across the state, while also allowing us to promote the diversity of Kansas agriculture by showcasing these images,” said Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture values the ability to use real photos from real people in Kansas agriculture. The photos submitted to the contest have become the face of our agency publications, social media posts, promotional materials and on the KDA website, agriculture.ks.gov. Many of the photo contest submissions are used for materials to advocate for Kansas agriculture, including during the Kansas Agricultural Growth Summit. Select photos will be displayed in KDA’s Manhattan office.
The winners from each category are as follows:
Technology at Work
First Place — “The Rush Before the Rain” — Karlee Brunner of Silver Lake, Kansas
Second Place — “No Till” — Michelle Ross of Meade County, Kansas
Animals of Agriculture
First Place — “Finger Licking Good” — Erin Schwartz of Belvue, Kansas
Second Place — “A Couple of Cuties” — Ronda Meier of Palmer, Kansas
From Farm to Table
First Place — “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” — Michelle Ross of Meade County, Kansas
Second Place — “Holding On” — Jenny Molina of Rooks County, Kansas
Beauty of the Farm
First Place — “Beautiful Southwest Kansas Sunset” — Shayla Blattner of Ensign, Kansas
Second Place — “God Bless Cowboys” — Shayla Blattner of Ensign, Kansas
Youth
First Place — “Wheat Silhouette” — Conway Patrick of Lindsborg, Kansas
Second Place — “Grandpa’s Hands” — Conway Patrick of Lindsborg, Kansas
All photos submitted to the contest are available for viewing on KDA’s Facebook page and Pinterest boards. Winners in each category will receive a $100 gift card and runner-up participants will receive a $50 gift card.
