Agricultural Photo Contest

The Department is running a year-long Agricultural Photo Contest aimed at showcasing the very best of New York State's diverse agricultural landscape. Every month, a new category is announced, highlighting a unique aspect of New York's agricultural communities, commodities, and livestock. Followers are invited to submit photos that adhere to the category each month. 

How do I win?

There are twelve opportunities each year to submit photographs to the contest. At the beginning of each month, a new category will be announced on our social media pages and posted on this page, along with a submission deadline date. Once the submission period has concluded, the Department will select five semi-finalists from the submissions. The winner will be selected by a social media vote: semifinalists will be posted to the Department's Facebook and Instagram pages with instructions on how to vote for your favorite photograph.

What do I win?

Our first-place winners each month will have their photo included as part of a 2026 12-month calendar. Winners will also receive a free copy of our calendar at the end of the year. 

How do I stay up-to date?

Category updates and winners will be posted on this page monthly, but the best way to stay informed is by following our social media pages! 

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December - Homegrown Holidays

New York State is home to a robust community of farmers, producers, and agribusinesses that offer delicious, home-grown food and beverages as well as local products that bring comfort, warmth, and cheer to the holiday season. That’s why December’s category, “Homegrown Holidays,” invites photographers to spotlight the small agribusinesses and farmers that make up the fabric of New York’s ag community during the festive season.

From the delicious, home-cooked meals prepared with locally grown food, the New York Christmas trees, wreaths, or winter floral arrangements decking the halls in homes across the state, or the heartfelt artisan gifts like beeswax candles, handcrafted soaps, and cozy wool products, we owe so many of the comforts we enjoy this season to our agricultural community. We welcome images that capture these growers and producers, and the shops that champion them, encouraging New Yorkers to celebrate the season by choosing locally grown and crafted gifts that sustain our agricultural communities year-round!

November - Harvest's Twilight

As autumn grows colder and the last of the crops come in, November ushers in a quiet, reflective season for New York agriculture – the twilight between harvest and winter. This month, we invite you to capture the final days of harvest on your farm. Whether it’s the last yields of late season crops like root vegetables and apples, livestock bundled up for the cold weather, or scenic shots of the sun setting on your farm, November’s photo contest category, “Harvest’s Twilight” aims to spotlight this moment of transition and what it looks like to you! 

October - From Tide to Table: Diving into NY's Aquaculture Industry"

October is National Seafood Month, so there’s no better way to spotlight New York’s diverse and growing seafood and aquaculture industry than through this month’s photo contest category: “From Tide to Table: Diving into NY’s Aquaculture Industry.”

As an early pioneer of the aquaculture industry, New York’s shellfish and hatchery operations dating back over two centuries. Today, New York is home to both small-scale and commercial-scale aquaculture operations – from Long Island to the Finger Lakes – growing fresh, safe, and sustainable seafood. Whether it’s a scenic shot of shellfish farms along the shore, a glimpse into the daily work of our fisheries, or a delicious dish of New York seafood ready to be enjoyed, we want to see the best photos that showcase the beauty and importance of this growing industry!

September - New York's Horsepower

Horses have long played a central role in New York’s agriculture and culture, from their historic importance in farming and transportation to their presence today in racing, recreation, and equestrian sport. Whether on the farm, in the ring, or on the trail, our photo contest category this month, “New York’s Horsepower,” invites you to showcase the many ways horses enrich our state—capturing their power, grace, and partnership with the people who care for them!

From youth horse shows at county fairs to working horses on farms, the thrill of the racetrack to the quiet moments of care and companionship, send us the photos that highlight New York’s equine industry! 

August - Community Connections at the Farmers' Market

Every summer, during the first full week of August, we celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week, an opportunity to spotlight the monumental contributions of these community hubs make. From bringing nutritious food into our communities who need it most to helping introduce farmers to a wider customer base, they help strengthen our local food system, improve the health and wellbeing of our families, and ultimately, bring communities together. Our August photo contest category, “Community Connections at the Farmers’ Market,” celebrates the powerful role farmers’ markets play as community anchors where neighbors gather, families learn about where their food comes from, and agriculture becomes personal and accessible.

This month, we’re looking for photos that show how your farmers bring fresh, seasonal abundance—like sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, juicy peaches, and vibrant greens—directly to your community. From the energy of a crowded market morning to a quiet exchange of a child picking out their favorite fruit, show us why these markets are such a cherished part of life in New York State!

July - Summer Sips: A Toast to NY's Craft Beverages

June - With Great Pollen Comes Great Responsi-bee-lity

Every year in June, we celebrate National Pollinator Week to raise awareness about the importance of these and their impact on our ecosystems and food supply. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, and hummingbirds are the unsung heroes behind so much of the food we enjoy and natural beauty that grows around us, which is why we’re celebrating them this month with our June’s photo contest Category: “With Great Pollen Comes Great Responsi-bee-lity!”

Help us raise awareness of the work these small superheroes do for our industry by sharing photos of pollinators, pollinator gardens and the plants and flowers that help keep these creatures safe, beekeepers and apiaries, and more! 

May - Farm Hands That Feed

With the growing season officially underway, we want farmers to turn the cameras toward themselves for our next photo contest category! Our farms thrive on dedication, partnership, and hard work! To celebrate the people who keep New York’s farms flourishing, May’s photo contest category is “Farm Hands that Feed.”

Whether it’s a portrait of a multi-generational farming family passing down their work ethic, a spotlight on our farmworkers providing essential help during harvest, or even the four-legged companions who contribute to a working farm’s landscape, we want your best photos and action shots that spotlight the hard work that goes into our industry.

April - Growing Green: Sustainable Farming Solutions

Every April, we celebrate Earth Week – a time to show our love and appreciation of our environment and natural resources. Agriculture goes hand in hand with environmental stewardship – farmers have long been foundational players in safeguarding our environment for future generations, which is why this month’s photo contest category is “Growing Green: Sustainable Farming Solutions.” This month, we are showcasing the innovative, climate-smart practices that farmers use to protect the farmland, air, and water that grows the food that nourishes our communities and sustains us.

Whether it’s vibrant cover crops protecting soil health, advanced manure management systems reducing emissions, or energy-efficient farm equipment, we want to see the New York farmers implementing sustainable solutions that are making a difference and helping protect our working farmland for generations to come!

March - Cultivating Curiosity: Ag Education in Action

Every March, we join forces with New York Agriculture in the Classroom to celebrate Ag Literacy week, giving us the opportunity to help jumpstart a curiosity and appreciation for agriculture in our next generation of leaders. New York State is home to one of the longest running and largest Agricultural Literacy Week programs in the country and has also seen significant growth in the number of agricultural teachers over the last decade.

To spotlight the incredible work of our ag educators across the state, our March Photo Contest Category is “Cultivating Curiosity: Ag Education in Action.” The role of an agricultural educator can mean so many things – from introducing young people where their food comes from to getting them excited about the many possibilities for future jobs in agriculture, and more. This month, we want to get a glimpse inside the classroom to see inspiration at work!

February - Indoor Innovations: Farming the Future

Agriculture is an ever-evolving industry, and farmers have been developing innovative tools to cultivate crops and maximize efficiency since the very earliest days of civilization. Today, advancements in technology, automation, and sustainability continue to advance modern growing techniques, adapt to the demands of a changing world while continuing to increase productivity and efficiency.

In February, while the ground here in New York is still too cold to kick off the growing seasons month, we’re highlighting cutting edge indoor growing techniques, from high-tech greenhouses and vertical farms to hydroponic and aeroponic systems. We want to see photos Whether it’s a vibrant greenhouse, an urban indoor farm, or a beginning grower’s first attempt at bringing their porch plants in for the winter, we want to see photos that capture the innovation, sustainability, and productivity of indoor agriculture.

January - New Year, Newborns: New York's Barnyard Babies

Animals play a vital role in New York’s agricultural industry. From heavyweights like dairy heifers and egg-laying hens that help nourish our communities to the athletes representing our equine industry, wool-producing sheep who fuel fiber production, and everyone in between, animals play an essential role in New York’s agricultural industry. In the spirit of kicking off a new year, we want to see photos of the newest members of New York’s furry (or feathery) team of agriculturalists! Lambs, foals, calves, piglets, chicks, kittens, and more – send us the adorable shots of the adorable baby animals on farms across the state!

We're always excited to receive photos from our followers, whether or not they adhere to the photo contest's category of the month! If you have a photo you'd like to share with the Department (and possibly see shared on our social media feed), feel free to send them at any time to [email protected] with a brief description.