Editors' Notebook

MyPlanting19 Contest Kickoff

Greg D Horstmeier
By  Greg D Horstmeier , DTN Editor-in-Chief
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On Earth Day, April 22, 2018 the snow had melted and the ground was finally perfect for planting corn for the Haag family in rural Orient, Iowa. This photo was submitted to the DTN/Progressive Farmer's #MyPlanting18 photo contest by Gingi Haag and ended up winning the Editor's Pick award. (Gingi Haag photo)

This spring marks the third annual DTN/Progressive Farmer planting photo contest. We can't wait to see the entries, because it will signify planting has finally begun across big stretches of the Corn Belt.

Spring 2019 is shaping up to be a planting season we'll talk about for a long time. Similar to 1993, 2011, or the drought of 2012, the flooding, wet weather, and struggle to plant timely will, I'll bet, make "Spring 2019" a subject of conversation for some time to come.

That's all the more reason DTN wants to continue its tradition of the planting photo contest; to document and share the trials and the successes of this critical, historical, planting season. To be completely transparent, there was a considerable amount of conversation about when, and if, to start our #MyPlanting19 contest, particularly as many farm families struggle to come to grips with lost equipment, damaged houses and farmsteads, lost grain and livestock, and in a few truly tragic cases, lost loved ones.

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But a really wise soul once told me that when things are rough, you have to celebrate the small victories. You have to find the roses among the thorns.

And oh, what roses have bloomed from our previous contests! We're continually impressed with the quality of photography and the ingenuity that has been part of our #MyPlantingand #MyHarvest photo contests that we started several years ago. It's truly a treat to see each day's contributions. Judging them is tough, but one of the highlights of the season for a guy who spent quite a bit of his life squinting through a camera viewfinder.

To enter the contest, go to https://myplanting19.shortstack.com/…and upload your photo into the viewing/judging platform. Entries will be accepted through June 7; hopefully we'll have most of the acres put to seed by then. You can then tell friends and family about your entry, as voting for the top two photos is open to all. There also will be first and second place Editor's Choice awards chosen by DTN editors.

In the open voting, first place will receive a $150 gift card, while second place earns a $75 gift card. Editor's choice winners earn a $100 gift card, second place earns a $75 card. All four award winners will also receive canvas prints of their images, and see their images gracing the pages of Progressive Farmer Magazine as well as here on DTN digital venues.

So don't let the delayed planting blues decrease your photographic prowess. Send us those planting shots, and let's get this #MyPlanting19 show on the road!

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

Follow him on Twitter @greghorstmeier

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