To the tourist, Colorado is a beautiful place to visit. But what about the farmers who live there year-round? It turns out, the state is beautiful from that perspective, too — and for the 21st year, the state has shown that to be true with a photo contest.

Called the “Colorado … It’s Agricultural” Photography Contest, the competition’s aim is to make Colorado agriculture shine; and this year, photographers offered their best.

Wendy White, marketing specialist, Colorado Department of Agriculture, noted that “judges had their work cut out for them this year, with nearly 160 entries submitted. We received photographs from across the state, showcasing the diversity of Colorado agriculture.”

Winners were selected based on their relation to Colorado agriculture, creativity and technical quality. The Grand Prize winner, who best depicted the “spirit” of Colorado agriculture, is Caleigh Payne, Alamosa, Colo. The entry is titled “Caught in the Middle,” and it shows a cowboy on horseback riding through a herd of sheep.

Other first-place finishers and their categories include Daniel Harvey, Monte Vista, Colo., first place for Ag From Above; Karen Mack of Craig, Colo., for Crops; Tatum Chase, McClave, Colo., for Livestock; Bridger Alan Davis, Evans, Colo., for Urban Agriculture; and Luke Trautwein, Berthoud, Colo., first place for Open Professional.

The slideshow offers the first-place winners. You can check out the honorable mention images by visiting the contest's CDA webpage.

Individuals receiving an honorable mention include Travis Harvey, Castle Rock, Colo.; Patricia Lentell, Wiggins, Colo.; Shelby Fisher, Kersey, Colo.; Beth Weisensee, Deer Trail, Colo.; John Dansby, Whitewater, Colo.; Stephanie Jo Kennedy, Arvada, Colo.; Daniel Bedell, Golden, Colo.; Sherry Dreher, Vona, Colo.; and Caleigh Payne, Alamosa.

Started in 1998, the “Colorado ... It’s Agricultural” Photography Contest is sponsored by the AgInsights Committee of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and Northeastern Junior College. Winning photographs will be displayed in the Beede-Hamil Agriculture Building at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. They are also available online at coloradoagriculture.com.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.