California Farm Bureau 2026 Photo Contest Rules
May 15th - August 31st, 2026
Am I eligible?
The contest is open to any amateur photographer (one who does not regularly receive income from photography) who is one of the following
• an individual member of a county Farm Bureau in California.
• an individual designated by an entity that is a member of such a county Farm Bureau to participate individually in the activities and benefits derived from that membership.
• a minor child or ward of any of the above individuals.
Employees (and their immediate family members) of California Farm Bureau, its affiliated companies, or county Farm Bureaus may not participate.
Young photographers are encouraged to enter in the Budding Artists category, presented by California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. An entrant as a Budding Artist must be 13 years of age or younger as of August 31st, 2026, and a child or ward of any of the individuals described in the first two bullet points above.
What is eligible as subject matter?
Photos must showcase California agriculture, depicting subjects such as fresh food, farm products being grown or harvested, animals on the farm, family farm life, people working on the farm or ranch, rural scenery, urban food production, or plated food.
How many photos may I enter?
An entrant may submit up to five photos.
What are the prizes?
•First Place Winner - $1,000
•Second Place Winner - $500
•Third Place Winner - $250
•People's Choice Winner - $100
Each entrant is eligible to win only one prize per contest year; exception: an entrant may win the People’s Choice prize and another prize. If multiple photos submitted by an entrant are recommended for prizes by contest judges, the entrant will be awarded only the highest prize category attained.
Budding Artists
This is a separate category for persons who are both age 13 or younger by August 31, 2026, and a child or ward of any of the individuals described in the first two bullet points under Am I eligible? on the prior page. Prizes are:
• One First Place Winner - $250
• One Second Place Winner - $100
Each Budding Artist entrant will receive a copy of the latest Imagine this… book.
Each Budding Artist entrant is eligible to win only one prize per contest year. If multiple photos by an entrant are recommended for prizes by contest judges, the entrant will be awarded only the First Place Budding Artists prize.
Contest Rules
• Photos must highlight California agriculture as described in What is eligible as subject matter? on the prior page and have been taken in 2025 or 2026.
• Photos may not have been or be entered in any other contest.
• Photos must accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appears. Photos digitally altered beyond standard optimization (e.g., overly altered or filtered) will not be chosen. Sepia and black-and-white photos are acceptable.
• A completed entry form must be submitted for photos (5 maximum) entered online. An incomplete entry form will not be accepted.
• The model release portion of the entry form must also be completed and signed by each entrant; a parent or guardian must sign for a minor.
• A child entering as a Budding Artist must provide date of birth on the entry form.
• All photos submitted become property of California Farm Bureau.
• California Farm Bureau may, without offering any consideration to or obtaining the further permission of its submitter, use any submitted photo for any purpose, such as publishing it in Ag Alert® newspaper, posting it on California Farm Bureau's websites or social media, reproducing it for Farm Bureau organizational use, or selling it at county Farm Bureau auctions.
• All decisions by California Farm Bureau as to the interpretation of these rules or the judging of photos are in its sole discretion and final.
Photo requirements and preferences
• Preferred file size is between 8 and 10 MB, but may not be less than 6 MB. For more information, see “Image quality” below.
• Images from mobile devices may be submitted if they adhere to the resolution requirement (see “Image quality” below).
• Turn off the date stamp option on your camera. Photos on which a date stamp or photographer’s name is visible will be disqualified.
• All photos must be in .jpg format.
• Images not meeting these specifications will be disqualified.
Image quality:
• Submitted photos should at a minimum be 300 dpi at 10 inches wide.
• Set your camera or mobile device to the highest image-quality setting. High-resolution settings may vary depending on brand, so check the documentation that came with your device. To ensure print standards and quality, submit images as high-resolution files. If shooting in RAW, export as a high-resolution .jpg (300 dpi) via your image-editing software.
• Resolution may be calculated by multiplying the pixel width of the image by the pixel height. For example, photograph taken with a 6-megapixel camera set for highest resolution and best quality produces images of about 2832 pixels by 2128 pixels, which are acceptable under the rules (2832 x 2128 = 6 million pixels). Digital images must be of sufficient resolution to reproduce well on the printed page.
What is the entry deadline?
Entries must be entered online by August 31st, 2026.
People's Choice Category
In addition to the main photo contest, participants may enter a photo in the People’s Choice category.
Eligibility:
• The People's Choice category is open to any amateur photographer who meets the eligibility criteria listed under Am I eligible?
• Each participant may submit one photo specifically for the People's Choice category. This photo can be one of those already entered in the main contest or a different photo.
Submission:
• Participants can submit their People's Choice entry online at www.cfbf.com/photocontest
• The submission deadline for the People's Choice category is the same as for the main contest: August 31, 2026.
Moderation:
• All photos submitted for the People's Choice category will be reviewed by California Farm Bureau staff to ensure they meet the contest rules and are appropriate for public viewing. Photos that do not meet the requirements or are deemed inappropriate will not be included in the voting phase.
Voting:
• Public voting for the People's Choice category will be open from September 1st-7th.
• Only photos that have passed moderation will be available for viewing and voting online at www.cfbf.com/photocontest.
• The photo with the most votes at the end of the voting period will be declared the winner.
Prizes:
• The People's Choice winner will receive a cash prize of $100.
• The People's Choice category is separate from the main contest; thus, participants are eligible to win in both categories.
Rules:
• Photos must meet the requirements and preferences as outlined in the main contest rules under What is eligible as subject matter? and Photo requirements and preferences.
• Photos must accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appears. Photos digitally altered beyond standard optimization will not be chosen. Sepia and black-and-white photos are acceptable.
• By participating in the People's Choice category, you agree to the same terms and conditions regarding the use and publication of your photos as detailed under Contest Rules and Agreement.
For any questions or additional information, please call 916-561-4502 or email sadams@cfbf.com.
Notification of winners and IRS Form W-9
Winners will be notified by mail, email, or phone. Each winner must complete and submit to California Farm Bureau an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification), which will be made available to the winner before the prize is distributed.
Agreement
By entering this contest, you grant to California Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau Federation, and every one of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, and members an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to use, publish, display, distribute, reproduce, edit, adapt, and create derivative works of each submitted photograph, in whole or in part, in any media now known or hereafter developed or discovered, including in use on websites, in publications, and for promotional purposes, without compensation or prior notice to you or your successors or assigns, or any other person or entity.
Questions? Call 916-561-4502 or email sadams@cfbf.com