Winners of Ag in Color Drawing Contest announced

The Phillips County Farm Bureau has announced the local winners of the Montana Youth Agriculture Literacy program drawing contest. "Montana Ag in Color" was developed in recognition of National Ag Week, March 20-26, as a creative competition for elementary school children. Each grade was given a different agricultural theme ranging from "Grains of Montana" and "Cattle in Agriculture" to noxious weeds, farm safety and ag-related careers.

Entries were judged on agricultural content, originality, neatness and reproducibility. One winner was selected from each grade and forwarded on to the statewide competition, judged by the Montana Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee.

Kindergarten – Wyatt Turley, Saco Elementary. First Grade - Rowdy Beil, Saco Elementary. Second Grade - Brooklyn Moog, Malta Elementary. Third Grade - Leeila Oxarart, Malta Elementary. Fourth Grade - Olivia Ritchey, Malta Elementary. Fifth Grade - Kade Bleth, Malta Elementary.

Leeila Oxarart and Olivia Ritchey from Malta Elementary were both selected as winners at the state level and will had the opportunity to attend an educational field trip to Helena, MT with their families and MFBF representatives during Ag Week. The trip included a ranch and Capitol tour, visits to the MT Department of Agriculture and MT Department of Livestock, and an address from guest speaker Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras.

"I would like to thank all the teachers in Phillips County whose students participated in the Ag in Color contest and for supporting Montana agriculture. Without you the contest wouldn't be possible," said District 7 Women's Leadership Committee member, Joy DePuydt. "The entries were so fun to see and so imaginative. The students put some thought into their entries and did a great job. All the entries were winners and I want to thank the students for doing such a great job."

Winning entries will be printed and distributed on usable items and educational materials. They will be posted on the Montana Farm Bureau website, http://www.mfbf.org, and Facebook page, @montanafarmbureau.