Deadline approaching to focus on Missouri agriculture

Jun 03, 2015

Photo contest ends on Monday, June 15

Shutterbugs around Missouri who have an eye for photography and a passion for farming and agriculture are invited to participate in the Focus on Missouri Agriculture Photo Contest.

The contest, currently in its 6^th year, encourages people from all across the state to snap a picture of farm life. Whether it be the landscape, harvest, an old farm tractor or a newborn calf.

"The story of agriculture is varied and vast, and often best told by the people who live and breathe it every day,” said Director of Agriculture Richard Fordyce. “I look forward to seeing Missourians’ outstanding talent come through in their photos of farm fields, livestock, equipment and our farm families.”

There are different categories for entrants to participate in, including Faces of the Farm and Beauty of the Farm. There’s a category for photographers under 12 years old – Children’s Barnyard.

Little boy taking a picture on a farm

Participants must submit their photos by June 15. Winners are eligible to receive gift cards to the AgriMissouri Market and have their images on display during the Missouri State Fair.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is having their own photo contest too.

Participants must be over the age of 18 and the pictures should display farmers’ dedication to their work.

Some of the categories include:

Technology (farmer using drones/smartphones/other tech)
Consumer Outreach (farmers interacting with consumers)

Submissions for the American Farm Bureau Federation will be accepted until March 31, 2016. Winners will be notified on April 15, 2016.

Tell us your thoughts on the two photo contests. Is one of your hobbies photography? What do you think would make a winning photo?

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.