IFB Photo Contest Winners Announced

Some 310 entries later - along with some difficult decisions - the winners of the Illinois Farm Bureau Member Photo Contest are in! IFB judges determined the top 15 finalists. Then, attendees at the IFB Annual Meeting in December helped determine the "member's choice" by voting for their favorite of the top 15.

The contest, for amateur photographers, was open to IFB members and their families and ran from June through October. Entries were accepted into three categories, all aimed at capturing rural life in Illinois, as well as the rich diversity of its agriculture and people. The winning photos are published in FarmWeek, and in the spring issue of Partners. All entries can be viewed online.

Entries have doubled since the first year of the contest, held in 2008. Ken Kashian, IFB's Photographic Services Director, said he was pleased with not only the quantity, but also the quality of the entries. "However, he added, "more entries means it's that much more difficult to determine the winners… but that's a good problem to have."

And the winners are…

• Grand Prize ($150) - Jamie Baker, Sangamon County
• Member's Choice ($50) - Valerie McVaigh, Richland County

From the Front Porch Catagory

• 1^st Place ($75) - Karen Logeman, Massac County
• 2^nd Place ($25) - Kelbi Ervin, Vermilion County
• Honorable Mention - John Diedrich, DeKalb County
• Honorable Mention - Valerie McVaigh, Richland County
• Honorable Mention - Kippi Wright, Edwards County

If Barns Could Talk  Catagory

• 1^st Place ($75)  -  Rachel Green, Cumberland County
• 2^nd Place ($25)  - Nathan Peterson, DuPage County
• Honorable Mention - Rita Burrows, Henry County
• Honorable Mention - Vanessa Gall, Madison County
• Honorable Mention - Ronald Hart, Clay County

Generations: From One to Another Catagory

• 1^st Place ($75)  - Jamie Baker, Sangamon County
• 2^nd Plac ($25)  - Michelle Faulkner, Henry County
• Honorable Mention - Karen Warfel, Champaign County
• Honorable Mention - Claude Oesterreicher, Lee County
• Honorable Mention - Karen Logeman, Massac County

Interested in entering this year's contest? The 2012 contest runs from June 1 to November 1. Watch for information on the IFB website and in FarmWeek this spring.