AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms (ILF), a conservation-focused education and outreach program for Iowa farmers and landowners based at Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach, has announced the winners of its inaugural Beauty of Conservation Photo Contest. A panel of judges selected the top four prizewinning images in adult and youth categories, and a People’s Choice winner was selected through online social media voting in each category.
According to Liz Ripley, ILF conservation outreach specialist and coordinator of the contest, participation in the contest exceeded expectations and provided a challenging assortment for the judges to consider. “We received 131 photos submitted by 56 photographers from all over Iowa and as far away as Florida,” said Ripley. “The variety, quality of the images, obvious careful consideration and imagination exhibited by the photographers was awesome.”
Mary Swalla Holmes, a writer and photographer from Polk City, Iowa, contributed her professional expertise to the panel of judges. She commented that she was honored to be a part of the program, and noted, “There were so many wonderful images submitted, in both the adult and youth categories, capturing a wide range of conservation practices, that it was difficult to narrow it down to a few winners. Really we all win when we see the beauty in conservation, in a field, in a stream or in a wildflower. The images reflected the relationships between humans, wildlife and the land in very artistic ways. Thanks to Iowa Learning Farms for this opportunity to see and share the beauty of conservation.”
Beauty of Conservation Photo Contest Winners
Adult (18+) Category
First Place Ryan Heiniger, Burlington, Iowa Soybeans Planted Green into Rye
Second Place Becky Van Wey, Vinton, Iowa No-till CC
Third Place John Schmidt, Ocheyedan, Iowa Trumpeter Swans Visit the Pond
Fourth Place Ed Kocal, Blue Grass, Iowa Stream Buffers Make a Difference!
People’s Choice Colleen Rossiter, Westside, Iowa Pollinator Restoration at Sunset
Youth Category
First Place Ian Spry, Ames, Iowa
Second Place Johnathan Haspels, Little Rock, Iowa Cover Crop Planted at V3 Corn Stage
Third Place Franny Burke-Vens, Madrid, Iowa A Purple Coneflower
Fourth Place Ellyanna Haspels, Little Rock, Iowa Bee in a CRP Pollinator
People’s Choice Annaliese Kamps, Ankeny, Iowa A Break in the Prairie
“The educational goal of this contest was to encourage people to consider all aspects of conservation which surround them,” continued Ripley. “Receiving entries with images of people, machinery, crops, wildflowers, pollinators, landscapes, waterways and wildlife, makes it clear that conservation cuts across all parts of our lives and each person sees its beauty in their own way.”
The photos entered in the contest can be viewed on the ILF Facebook page or by following these links. Adult Category Entries Youth Category Entries
To learn more about Iowa Learning Farms outreach and education programs, please visit us on the web at www.iowalearningfarms.org.
About Iowa Learning Farms:
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA Section 319), ISU’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Districts of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau, Practical Farmers of Iowa and GROWMARK, Inc.
— Iowa Learning Farms
For more news from Iowa, click here.
