2nd Annual Essay Contest Winners Announced!

Posted: 4/22/2014

Ag Week Essay Winners Announced

South Dakota Third and Fourth grade winners receive recognition

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.— National Ag Week which took place March 23-29, is a time to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture.  In celebration of Ag Week, over 125 third and fourth graders across the state of South Dakota entered the South Dakota Ag in the Classroom and South Dakota Farm Families essay contest. 

Students from 24 different school districts submitted essays between 100-250 words on the topic: “The Surprising Places I Found Agriculture.”  

Two winners were chosen for the Second Annual South Dakota Ag Week Essay contest. They are:  Luke Jones a fourth grader at Cheyenne School in Stanley County and Hamza Ali a fourth grader at Camelot Intermediate School in Brookings. 

As winners of the statewide contest, Jones and Ali will receive a classroom pizza party with an area farmer or rancher and a certificate.  Teachers of the winning students will also receive a prize pack.

“We are excited to announce the winners of our second essay contest,” stated Ann Price, South Dakota Ag in the Classroom Executive Director.  “The contest was designed to get students thinking about where their food, fuel and fiber come from.  Even though they may not be directly involved with agriculture they are impacted by agriculture every day.  The contest also met several South Dakota Department of Education core curriculum standards.”

Receiving honorable mentions are:  Kirstie Lake, Gettysburg Elementary; Logan Hurlburt, Clark Elementary and Matea Gordon, Sturgis Elementary.  Honorable mentions will receive a certificate for their outstanding essays. 

To read the winning essays visit www.agclassroom.org/sd or www.agunited.org.  One of the five winning essays will be published each day during the week of  April 21^st – April 25^th.  

South Dakota Ag in the Classroom is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to be the premier educator training organization that increases student awareness of agriculture. To learn more, visit us at www.agclassroom.org/sd

South Dakota Farm Families is the Facebook page of Ag United for South Dakota.  Ag United is a coalition of farm organizations with a goal of keeping family farms growing.  Coalition members include the South Dakota Cattleman’s Association, the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, the South Dakota Dairy Producers, South Dakota Farm Bureau, South Dakota Pork Producers Council, South Dakota Poultry Industries Association and the South Dakota Soybean Association.  To learn more, visit us on Facebook at South Dakota Farm Families or our website at: www.agunited.org