Brittany Plachecki, Kansas City Art Institute, was selected the winner of the second annual National Ag Day Poster Art Contest. The contest theme was Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed. Entries were screened by a nine-member jury and finalists were judged through online voting to determine the winner.
2014 National Ag Day
The Agriculture Council of America announces 2014 date.
The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) will host National Agriculture Day March 25, 2014. This will mark the 41st anniversary of National Ag Day, which is celebrated in classrooms and communities across the country. The theme for National Ag Day is “Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed.”
On March 25 the ACA will host major events in the nation’s capital. Included will be a Mix-and-Mingle Luncheon and the National Celebration of Agriculture Dinner. Additionally, the ACA will bring approximately 100 college students to Washington to deliver the message of Ag Day to the Hill.
These events honor National Agriculture Day and mark a nationwide effort to tell the true story of American agriculture and remind citizens that agriculture is a part of all of us. A number of producers, agricultural associations, corporations, students and government organizations involved in agriculture are expected to participate.
National Ag Day is organized by the ACA, 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.
The National Ag Day program encourages every American to understand how food and fiber products are produced; appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products; value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy; and acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.
Poster contest
In addition to the events in Washington, D.C., on March 25, the ACA and Meredith AgriMedia sponsored the 2014 Ag Day Poster Art Contest.
Brittany Plachecki, Kansas City Art Institute, was selected the winner of the 2014 National Ag Day Poster Art Contest. Plachecki’s artwork and a profile were prominently featured in Successful Farming magazine and Ag Day correspondences. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Meredith AgriMedia. The artist will receive a portion of the proceeds from limited-edition prints.
The National Ag Day Poster Art contest is designed to showcase the talents of young artists who share a passion for modern agriculture.
Essay contests
The ACA called on ninth- to 12th-grade students to submit an original, 450-word essay or a two-minute video essay about the importance of agriculture. The deadline was Jan. 31, 2014. The ACA asked teachers and parents to encourage student participation.
Entrants could choose to either write an essay and/or create a video focusing on how today’s growers are overcoming challenges to provide a safe, stable food supply and sustain the significant role agriculture plays in everyday life.
The national written-essay winner receives a $1,000 prize and round-trip ticket to Washington, D.C., for recognition during the Celebration of Ag Dinner March 25 at Whitten Patio at the USDA. During dinner, the winner will have the opportunity to read the winning essay, as well as join with industry representatives, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, media and other friends in a festive ag celebration. The video-essay winner wins a $1,000 prize, and the winning video will play during the Celebration of Ag Dinner.
Winner of the 2014 Ag Day written essay contest is Clara Knipp, Tipton, Mo. The winner of the video essay contest is Brackston McKnight, Jacksonville, Texas.
The Ag Day Essay Contest is sponsored by CHS Inc., High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal, the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, the National Agri-Marketing Association, the Country Living Association, the Farm Progress Companies and McCormick Co.
More information is available at http://agday.org/.
Editor’s Note: This article was compiled from several releases from Jenny Pickett, executive vice president and CEO of the National AgriMarketing Association.