Winners of Inaugural Indiana Farm Bureau Photo Contest Announced

Indiana Farm Bureau has announced the winners of the 2023 INFB Photo Contest. The new contest was open to all INFB members 18 years or older, and photos were required to represent agriculture and rural life in Indiana.

The following three photographs placed in the contest and will receive a monetary prize.

• First place: Marie Kohlhagen, Jasper County ($250 prize)
• Second place: April Lamb, Kosciusko County ($150 prize)
• Third place: Linsie Middlesworth, Grant County ($100 prize)

The winning photos were chosen from over 300 entries submitted during the contest period from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, 2023. They were evaluated by a panel of independent judges based on agriculture or rural focus, sharpness, quality of image, subject, composition, technical quality, impact and creativity.

Marie Kohlhagen’s first-place photo highlighted her two youngest children looking out at wheat being harvested on their family’s Rensselaer farm on the Fourth of July.

“I tend to always have my camera out at some point during wheat harvest. The sun was setting, and the kids were watching and learning,” explained Kohlhagen. “It was the perfect opportunity to capture this moment in time.”

Kohlhagen has her own photography business, MK Photography and Design, and she was excited to participate in the inaugural INFB Photo Contest.

“It is an honor to win this contest,” said Kohlhagen. “But the best part is the opportunity to advocate for the future of agriculture while sharing my passion of photography with others.”

The second-place photo, taken by April Lamb, featured a young girl exploring a pumpkin patch, and Linsie Middlesworth’s third-place photo depicted a girl feeding cows.

All three winning photos showcased the wide variety of agriculture in Indiana, highlighting row crops, specialty crops and livestock sectors. The photos also depicted the younger generation growing up on the farm, taking part in daily farm activities and representing the future of agriculture.

In addition to the monetary prizes, the three winning photos will be displayed at the 2023 INFB State Convention in Fort Wayne taking place Thursday-Saturday, December 14-16, at the Grand Wayne Convention Center.

For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has protected and enhanced the future of agriculture and our communities. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to cultivate a thriving agricultural ecosystem to strengthen the viability of Indiana agriculture. Learn more at INFB.org.