Members must have submissions in by November 4
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
OFA members interested in participating in the organization’s Farm Gate Challenge need to have their submissions in by Friday, November 4 at 4:30 p.m.
The contest, which kicked off in November 2015, encourages farmers to decorate their farm gates with any OFA paraphernalia to celebrate its 80th anniversary – which is also the challenge’s theme.
"We took a 737lb pumpkin and carved the OFA's 80th anniversary into it," said Dan Langridge, a farmer from Prince Edward County.
Langridge said the giant pumpkin also acted as a way to engage and inform the public about Ontario agriculture.
"People stop to take pictures and it always involves conversation. We were able to explain OFA and what's going on."
He said he's noticed an increase in participation across the province.
"The farm gates have gotten more decorative over time," he said. "You're seeing people get more involved and it's interesting to see some of the displays.
Once the farm gate is decorated, farmers are asked to take a photo and submit it for the contest.
The winning entry will receive $1,000. Second place will win $500 and $250 will go to the third place display.
OFA has set up a scoring criteria to entice farmers to use different items.
The scoring system is as follows:
- 10 points for using an OFA gate sign or an original OFA sign
- 30 points for showcasing the OFA 80th anniversary theme
- 25 points for originality
- 20 points for curb appeal, and
- 15 points for overall appearance
The challenge is open to all OFA members. There’s no limit on the amount of entries a farmer can submit. Some of the entries could be displayed online, during the upcoming 2016 OFA AGM, and for other OFA print or social media.