News Release

Only one month remains for Missourians to enter their best shots in the Missouri Department of Agriculture's 5th Focus on Missouri Agriculture Photo Contest. Photographers across the state are encouraged to submit their best images of a beautiful Missouri farm, their family's farm tractor or the fun and excitement of a child's first agritourism experience, by June 30.

"Every Missouri farm has a story to tell, from the rich history of agriculture to the hard work of farm families, and I look forward to seeing Missourians' outstanding talent come through in their photos of farm fields, livestock, equipment and our farm families," said Director of Agriculture Richard Fordyce. "Participating in this contest is a great way to capture the stories about Missouri agriculture and to share those stories of our rural communities with people across the state."

Through photography, Missourians of all ages are capturing and sharing the unique stories and many facets of agriculture. This year's entries are posted online at Flickr.com/MoAgriculture. The contest winners will be announced during the 2014 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, held Aug. 7-17 and the winning images will be displayed in the Agriculture Building throughout the State Fair.

Participants may enter up to three images in each of the five photo categories. Photo categories include: The Beauty of the Farm, Faces of the Farm, The Farming Life, The Pride of the Farm and Children's Barnyard. The Children's Barnyard is a special category for photographers ages 12 and under. Entries will be judged on visual impact, creativity, memorable content and image quality.

Thanks to the Missouri Department of Agriculture's AgriMissouri program, there are several big prizes and many chances to win. Winners in each of the four categories will receive a $100 AgriMissouri gift basket. The winner of the Children's Barnyard category will receive a special gift basket filled with $100-worth of child-friendly items from AgriMissouri. An AgriMissouri gift basket valued at $250 will be award to the Best of Show. Winners will also receive a canvas print of their top shot.

Photo entries may be submitted online at agriculture.mo.gov/focus or by emailing them to PhotoContest@mda.mo.gov. For more details, including a complete list of rules and guidelines, visit the contest page online at agriculture.mo.gov/focus.