Kansas agriculture has a beauty like no other and we strive to acknowledge and appreciate it throughout the state. You can show us the true beauty of the state’s ag industry through the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s annual photo contest. KDA began accepting photo entries on June 9, and will continue accepting entries until August 22.

This year’s KDA Photo Contest categories were selected to promote different aspects of Kansas agriculture. Farm to Fork, Innovation in Agriculture, Four-Legged Friends, and Ad Astra categories will showcase Kansas agriculture in many ways — the products of our labor that feed our local communities, the scientific and technological advancements that increase efficiency and value, the many animals that play a role in family-run farms and ranches, and the overall beauty of Kansas agriculture. And for the second year, a Video category will showcase drone footage, harvest videos, or other short clips of under 30 seconds. As always, there will be a separate Youth category, for young photographers under age 19. Prizes will be awarded to the top two winners in each of the six categories.

KDA serves to advocate for agriculture, the state’s largest industry and economic driver. Photos which best capture the categories will be used throughout the year as we tell the story of Kansas agriculture. After submission, KDA is granted permission to use any photograph for publications, social media, websites, displays, etc. without payment or other consideration from the photographer.

Photo entries should be sent in .jpg format to KDA.PhotoContest@ks.gov. Videos should be sent in .mp4 or .mov format. Entries must include a title and brief description, where and when the photo/video was taken, the photographer’s full name and age, entry category, hometown and email address.

Guidelines for the KDA Photo Contest, including deadlines, categories and prizes, can be found at agriculture.ks.gov/photocontest. Voting to select finalists will begin on KDA’s social media sites in late August. For more information, contact Heather Lansdowne, KDA director of communications, at Heather.Lansdowne@ks.gov or 785-564-6706.