Opportunity for Young Farmers and Ag Students: Enter the Voices of the Soil Essay Contest for $1000 prize
2015 is the International Year of Soils, and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Lexicon of Sustainability are celebrating one of our most important natural resources by hosting a contest for young farmers, agricultural students, or any young person who appreciates the value of healthy soil.
The contest is open to any United States citizen between the age of 18 and 28 who loves soil and is pursuing an education or career in agriculture, environmental science, or other related fields. We especially encourage submissions from young farmers. Contestants may submit a two-minute video essay less than 5 minutes in length and/or a written essay between 700 and 1000 words by September 8, 2015.
Write your essay or make your video by answering one of more of the following questions
- Why is soil health important to you and your community?
- What is the important relationship between soil carbon sequestration and a healthy climate?
- Why is the relationship between soil and water important?
Visit the webpage at Lexicon of Sustainability for complete instructions and to submit your work: http://lexiconofsustainability.com/voices-of-the-soilyoung-farmer-essay-and-video-contest/
We are excited to hear your stories and learn why soil is important to you, no matter what your background is or whether you live on a farm or in the city. Soil provides for us all in many ways.
We will select eight winners by mid-September; winning essays and videos will be publicized by NRDC and Lexicon of Sustainability. We are also inviting a special guest judging panel of leading voices in agriculture, and we will announce our judges at a later date.
We will award a total of $5000 in prizes as follows:
- One (1) grand prize winner will receive $1000 for best overall written essay.
- One (1) grand prize winner will receive $1000 for best overall video essay.
- $500 will be awarded each for best written and video essays addressing prompt 1.
- $500 will be awarded each for best written and video essays addressing prompt 2.
- $500 will be awarded each for best written and video essays addressing prompt 3.
