Editors' Notebook

Covering news, markets and weather tends to create a serious vibe around the DTN/PF newsroom. So it's a welcome change when we're involved in something completely fun, such as this year's "#MYPLANTING17" photo contest.

If you're one of our Facebook or Twitter followers, you've no doubt been enjoying the planting-related photographs that readers have been sharing. We've had some 160 images submitted from all over the U.S. From this side of the desk, it's been a real treat to see the different ways people represent what the planting season means to them. There are near-corporate "glamour" shots showing off shiny new equipment, heart-tugging images of family members seeing Dad off to the day's planting tasks, and not surprisingly, a steady stream of overhead, wide-angle shots pulled off with the ever-popular drone cameras. That one piece of technology has forever changed how we view and make a historical record of farming.

Some of the images are downright spectacular. A lot of you also put yourselves in various precarious and dusty/dirty situations to grab the image that most said "it's planting time" to you. We're impressed with both the images and the amount of work and thinking that went into them.

To those folks who submitted photos, and especially those who "volunteered" to be in the photographs, a big THANK YOU from our staff, and particularly from our social media and digital engagement lead Marie Annexstad, who put together the contest following her successful harvest time photo contest last fall.

Now it's time for the next step, voting for your favorite image from planting season 2017. This time around, and everyone gets to participate, the winners are in your hands, or at least your clicking finger.

Voting is simple, no voter ID, no secret password required. Just head to our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/dtnprogressivefarmer/, look for the #MYPLANTING17 album, check out the images, and "like" the one or ones you think are best.

The three images with the most likes by 8:30 a.m., Monday, May 29, win.

For details on the contest itself, go to https://spotlights.dtnpf.com/…

First place is a $100 debit card and a professionally made canvas print of your image. Second place prizes are a $50 debit card, and a canvas print; Third place is a professional canvas print. All top three images will be featured in the July issue of The Progressive Farmer magazine, on DTN online sites and on our Facebook page.

Good luck to the photographers, and thanks again to all who participated by either submitting images or voting. Given all the events of this planting season, it's great to have some fun and reward all of the talented photographers out there.

Greg D. Horstmeier can be reached at greg.horstmeier@dtn.com

Follow Greg D. Horstmeier on Twitter @greghorstmeier

(ES/AG)

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