2018 National Ag Day Essay Contest and 2018 National Ag Day Photo Contest coming soon

March 20, 2018 is the date of the 2018 National Ag Day Essay & Photo Contest Winners

National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA). ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public's awareness of agriculture's role in modern society.

2017 Ag Day Essay & Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to the 2017 National Ag Day Essay and Photo Contest Winners. The winning entries of these contests can be viewed below. 

2017 National Ag Day Essay Contest

The 2017 Ag Day Essay Contest is divided into two categories of competition: written essay and video essay. 

Written Essay Contest

The national written essay winner for 2017 is Bridger Gordon from Whitewood, South Dakota. He will receive a $1,000 prize and travel to Washington, D.C., for recognition during the National Press Club Event on March 21, 2017. 

​

Read the winning essay now:

Agriculture: Food for Life

By: Bridger Gordon

"MMMM ... these mashed potatoes are delicious," I told my grandma as we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at her house this past November. Her face lit up, and she proceeded to tell us grandkids about the potatoes and other vegetables from her garden, then segued to talking about the bountiful crop of wheat, sunflowers, and corn she and grandpa had been blessed with as well. Her pride in raising the food to feed her family - and the worlds - as she's done for some 50 years was evident.

Soon the dinner table conversation turned to my dad, uncle and grandpa discussing the corn and soybean crop and looking ahead to spring planting. Talk of crop rotations, cover crops, and using precision ag tools to add efficiency and care for the land pepper the conversation. So too does talk of grandpa's retirement, he's nearing 73 and has spent his life on this farm - the same farm his dad operated. My uncle and his family already live on the farm, but will be transitioning into more of the farm management and ownership in the near future.

"Did you know that China is the most populated country in the world?" my cousin says as she interrupts the conversation. She recently traveled to China for a college class and begins telling stories, noting that most of China's 1.3 billion people live in cities and that they - like many countries around the globe - do not have the fertile farmland or skilled farmers to produce enough food. Hence, they rely heavily on ag imports - many from American farms - to feed their growing population.

I gaze out the window at the cows on the pasture - and see a deer dash into the shelterbelt of trees. My gaze extends to the grain elevator and water tower of the nearby community silhouetted on the horizon. I think about the many families, like mine, who rely on farming for their livelihood. But I also realize the local bank, school, grocery store and other businesses - from the auto dealer to the insurance agent to the gas station - are all intertwined with the agricultural economy. This interconnectedness with agriculture among families, communities and economies is mirrored across my state, across the nation, and around the world.

As I ponder this day of gratitude and thanksgiving, I am overwhelmed by my family's farming heritage. While we often think of food merely as sustenance, I see much more. Agriculture is a livelihood for families and a stewardship of natural resources - from generation to generation. Agriculture fuels and feeds countries who cannot sustain themselves. Agriculture encompasses - and enhances - the entire environment harnessing soil, water, sunlight to produce food, habitat, employment- all existence. Indeed, agriculture truly is "food for life."

Video Essay Contest

The national video essay winner for 2017 is Hadassah McKinley from Bella Vista, California. She will win a $1,000 prize for her video.

​

Watch the winning video essay now:

https://youtu.be/K8GcQz1cXt0

2017 National Ag Day Photo Contest

The national photo contest winner for 2017 is Tana Elliott from Etna Green, Indiana. Her original photograph is the Official National Ag Day Poster. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Meredith Agrimedia. Her photo and a profile of Elliott will be featured in Successful Farming magazine and Ag Day correspondence.