You still have time to write a 250- to 300-word essay and enter the annual Indiana Prairie Farmer/CountryMark essay contest. Entries are due postmarked April 15.
Why would you want to take time to put your thoughts on paper? Besides making you feel like you're sharing your feelings with others, you could win significant awards. Persons 21 years or over can compete for 500 gallons of Super Dieselx4 diesel fuel from CountryMark for first place, 250 gallons for second and 100 gallons for third place. That's enough fuel to keep a tractor running for several hours or more.
Entrants aged 8 through 20 compete for $250 for first place, $150 for second, and $50 each for third and fourth place.
The topic for the adult division is "A funny thing happened at the farm…" Use your best storytelling voice to tell a humorous story, even if it wasn't humorous at the time.
Related: Have a Great Farm Story? See it in Indiana Prairie Farmer!
The youth theme for this year is "Telling agriculture's story: what role do you play?" Examples of how you have defended agriculture or explained it to someone who doesn't know about it are great ideas for essays.
Decisions of the judges will be final. Indiana Prairie Farmer reserves the right to publish any essays deemed appropriate without compensation. All essays must be your original work. The panel of judges will have farm backgrounds.
Send your entries to Susan Hayhurst, 14477 S. Carlisle Street, Terre Haute, IN 47802. For a more complete set of details, consult the March or April issues of Indiana Prairie Farmer.
Belinda Puetz of CountryMark says the company is proud to support this effort. They love to help young people learn to speak up, and they also encourage adults to use their skills to express their opinions to other people.