The artistic flair of kindergartners through seniors was featured at the Alabama Farm-City Awards program in Birmingham April 6, where Houston, Lamar and Shelby county students took home top prizes in poster, essay and multimedia contests.

“Participating in Farm-City contests is one way students learn about Alabama agriculture’s bounty at a young age,” said Alabama Farm-City Committee Chairman Jeff Helms. “These students are the future of our industry, and it’s important they learn the impact forestry, agriculture and related industries have on our state and planet.”

This year’s theme was “Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet.”

In the poster contests, first-grader Kimber Brooke Cunningham of Lamar County’s Vernon Elementary School won first place in the kindergarten through third-grade division. Houston County’s Brooke DelVecchio, a sixth-grader at Cottonwood School, won the fourth- through sixth-grade division.

Each received $200, as did their schools.

Alabama Farmers Cooperative sponsored the cash awards.

Second-place poster winners and their schools each received $100. They were kindergartner Elin Shelton of Randolph County’s Woodland High School and Barbour County’s Rintik Setiawan, a sixth-grader at Admiral Moorer Middle School.

Additionally, the 2018 Alabama Farm-City calendar will feature 10 honorable mention poster contest entries. Each student was awarded $50. They were Ariya Danzey of Montana Magnet School in Houston County, Gage Thornton of R.L. Young Elementary School in Talladega County, Carson Smith of Good Hope Middle School in Cullman County, Matthew Shelton of Woodland High School in Randolph County, Trevor Dale Cunningham of Vernon Intermediate School in Lamar County, Tessa Ray of Horseshoe Bend School in Tallapoosa County, Kangyou Park of Baldwin Arts and Academics Magnet School in Montgomery County, Leighton Fultz of Marengo Academy in Marengo County, SimenoleRobvim McShan of Clay County Christian Academy in Clay County and Gabriella Plaza of Moulton Middle School in Lawrence County.

In the essay contest, Shelby County’s Marion Bell of Hope Christian School won first place in the seventh- through ninth-grade division, while her sister, Kinley Bell, placed first in the 10th- through 12th-grade category.

Pickens County’s Adeline Phillips of Pickens Academy placed second in the seventh- through ninth-grade essay division, while Victoria Dee, also of Pickens Academy, received second place among older students.

Essay contest winners and their schools received $300, while second-place entries and their schools took home $200.

Ty Rickard of Rehobeth High School in Houston County won the multimedia contest for students in ninth to 12th grades. Rickard and his school received $300. Second place went to Lauren Grace Wilson of Hope Christian School in Shelby County. Wilson and her school received $200.

Marshall County’s Kaleigh Backstrom of The Way Home Christian School received an honorable mention in the multimedia contest. She and her school received $100.

Rickard’s video can be viewed here.

The luncheon was held in conjunction with the Federation’s Women’s Leadership Conference.

Find more photos on the Federation's Flickr page at Flickr.com/AlabamaFarmers.