WATERLOO, Iowa — The deadline for the 2022 Capture the Heart of America Photo Contest is fast approaching.
Contest entries are due by Oct. 31, 2022. Photos submitted in the contest must be agriculturally related and help to preserve this important piece of America’s story. Photos must be submitted by the individual who took the photograph. Contest sponsors, judges and SSNHA staff/members of their immediate family are not eligible to enter. Employees and volunteers of designated SSNHA Heritage Area Sites are eligible to submit entries.
From day-to-day life on the family farm to the ever-changing industry, agriculture has proven to be one of America’s most compelling stories. There is no better way to capture this story than through the lens of photographers from across the country.
With more than $1800 in cash prizes, there are six agriculture-related categories in which to enter photographs. New this year, the “Faces of American Agriculture” category. One of only two categories accepting photos outside of Iowa’s borders, “Faces of American Agriculture” celebrates the people who work to fulfill our human need for food, energy, clothing, and shelter.
Contest categories include:
- Iowa Farmscapes: From rustic farms to rolling hills of patchwork fields, the rural countryside holds a beauty uniquely Iowan. This category captures this beauty through artistic depictions of farm and field scenes scattered throughout rural Iowa.
- Life on the Iowa Farm: Farm Life is characterized by hard work combined with a connection to the land. This category shares the story of the Iowan farmer who helps feed the world, along with day-to-day life on the farm.
- Silos & Smokestacks Partner Sites: From dairy farms and museums to vineyards and tractor assembly tours, more than 100 Designated Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area Partner Sites are sharing their own part of America’s agricultural story in a 37-county region of Northeast Iowa. This category lets visitors share their experience at Heritage Area Partner Sites.
- Celebrations of Iowa Agriculture: Steeped in culture, festivals and fairs have long been held to celebrate Iowan agriculture and the fruits of the harvest. From a state fair to a hometown rhubarb fest, this category commemorates the agricultural experience at countless events throughout the country.
- New Category! Faces of American Agriculture: Agriculture is a diverse and eclectic industry. From field to factory, more than 19 million Americans work in agriculture. Whether farmers and producers or scientists and engineers, show us the faces of men and women working in, what many believe to be, the world’s oldest profession. Capture people at work developing new technologies, identifying weeds & pests, solving water and soil issues, processing products we find on store shelves, and educating about agriculture. This category celebrates the people who work to fulfill our human need for food, energy, clothing, and shelter.
- Agriculture in America: From sea to shining sea, amber waves of grain to fields of cotton. Agriculture is a major industry in America. Ranging from hobby farms and small-scale producers to large commercial farms covering thousands of acres of cropland or rangeland. This category celebrates the diverse industry of agriculture in our country. We want to see this industry outside of Iowa and farm life differs from state-to-state
Awards presented:
- Best of Show – $500
- First Place – $100 (each category)
- Second Place – $50 (each category)
- Third Place – $25 (each category)
- People’s Choice – $50
- Visitor Guide Photo Feature Award – $250
For additional information about the photo contest, please email photocontest@silosandsmokestacks.org or call (319)234-4567.
Topics: Press Releases
