Photo Contest: The New American Farm

I like the theme, take a look and judge for yourself, lots of stories that could be told around Athens.

From their site:

SARE’s 20th Anniversary Conference:
The New American Farm:
Advancing the frontier of sustainable agriculture

SARE's 20th Anniversary Photo Competition Rules (Word) (PDF)

Theme: Groundbreaking Innovations, People and Partnerships in Sustainable Agriculture

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, we are excited to announce our first-ever national photo competition.

We’re looking for photos from all corners of the nation that depict groundbreaking innovations, people and partnerships advancing the frontier of sustainable agriculture in America.

The top four photos, one from each of SARE’s regions in the United States, will receive grand prizes of free attendance and accommodations at SARE’s 20th Anniversary conference, to be held March 25-27, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri.

What kind of photos are we looking for?
We are looking for imaginative, striking photos related to groundbreaking innovations, people, and partnerships in sustainable agriculture. While our top four regional winners will be chosen based on how compelling and clearly they depict this general theme, honorable mentions will be chosen per the categories below. We’ve offered some ideas, but this is just to get your imagination going!

1) The Diverse Sustainable Agriculture Community:
Who’s doing the work of sustainable agriculture? Photos entered in this category can feature a range of people in the agricultural community going about their work: for example, farmers planting cover crops; dairy farmers rotating cows through fields; workshops of people learning from each other, including researchers, educators, and producers; consumers buying sustainably grown produce; restaurateurs working with sustainable farmers and ranchers; people at farmer’s markets; people next to their innovations. Photos in this category should clearly depict people – can be from all walks of life and professions – working to advance sustainable agriculture.

2) Land and Water Stewardship:
Cover crops; incorporating a diversity of natural ecosystems into farming and ranching; innovations and new technology to protect water and soil, organic crops; sustainable pest management strategies; pastured grazing and other sustainable livestock operations – these are just a few ways farmers and ranchers are advancing sustainable agriculture. Photos in this category should depict sustainable farming and ranching practices that protect land, water and produce healthy crops.

3) Energy and Climate Change:
Solar, wind, sustainable bio-fuels, efficiency technology – across the country, farmers and ranchers are transitioning their operations to self sufficient, clean energy technologies. Photos in this category should depict clean energy technologies/practices being developed or in operation on the farm and ranch.

4) Communities and Markets
How is sustainable agriculture changing communities – your ideas in photos! From community-supported agriculture, to local contractors and consultants hired to install sustainable systems; to farmers’ markets and supermarkets – photos in this category should show how communities are benefiting from sustainable agriculture operations.