The NACD Photo Contest is open to all amateur photographers who reside in the U.S. or its territories in the following categories:

Conservation Practices (CP)

• Showcases conservation methods such as contour buffer strips, cover crops, crop rotation, wetland restoration, riparian buffers, and nutrient management.
• Highlights conservation efforts that support environmental sustainability and resource management.

Close-up Conservation (CC)

• Focuses on detailed aspects of conservation such as soil health, water in various forms, insects, farm animals, irrigation techniques, earthworms, roots, and composting.
• Highlights the small yet significant elements of conservation efforts.

Conservation in Action (CA)

• Captures conservation district activities such as educational programs, field days, irrigation use, community meetings, and hands-on conservation practices.
• Highlights farmers, landowners, district staff, and volunteers engaged in conservation efforts.

Agriculture and Conservation Across America (ACAA)

• Features barns, crops, farm practices, livestock, grazing, pastures, tree farms, and youth participating in conservation-related activities. Please ensure that a signed release form is obtained for any youth whose facial features appear in the photograph.
• Captures the relationship between agriculture and conservation across different regions of the U.S.

Awards:

• One winner will be selected for each category and age division.
  • Adult Division: 19 and older as of December 1, 2025.
  • Youth Division: 18 and younger as of December 1, 2025.

• First-place winners will receive a $100 cash prize.
• Second-place winners will receive a $50 cash prize.

File Requirements:

Submissions must be in JPEG, PNG, or TIFF format with a high resolution (300 dpi or higher).

Each photo file must be named using the following format, using full state name (no abbreviations) using underscores and numbering files by submissions: Category_Level_LastName_FirstInitial_State_Submission#

Example: A 16-year-old from Texas named John Smith submits two photos:

• CC_Y_Smith_J_Texas_1 (Close-Up Conservation, Youth Division)
• CA_Y_Smith_J_Texas_1_ (Conservation in Action, Youth Division)

Example: A 21-year-old from Main named Anita Jones submits a photo:

• ACAA_A_Jones_A_Maine_1 (Agriculture and Conservation Across America, Adult)

Submission Link:

Photo Contest Submission Link goes live March 30, 2025

Questions?

Contact NACD at stewardship@nacdnet.org.