Farm Bureau photo contest winners showcase California agriculture
A rancher from Oroville has earned First Place in the 44th annual California Farm Bureau Photo Contest.
Joelle Naphan, who won $1,000 for a silhouette shot of a man on a horse throwing a lasso, said her passion for photography was inspired by her agricultural upbringing.
“Agriculture is an art that has been refined by multiple generations, just as this particular loop my brother was throwing has been refined by hours of practice,” Naphan said.
The 2025 photo contest attracted hundreds of images from amateur photographers who are members of county Farm Bureaus throughout the state. Contestants used cameras and smartphones to capture the winning images.
Michelle Foster of Santa Maria earned Second Place and $500 for a photo of a tractor in a vineyard. Third Place and $250 went to Grass Valley resident Sean Long, who submitted a photo of his dog, Rosie, posing on his family’s ranch. Laura McGrath of Marysville won People’s Choice and $100 for a photo of her 1-year-old granddaughter, Riley Bird, sitting in a bin of fruit.
Six photographers earned Honorable Mentions: Jacob Balakian of Reedley, Lisa Branco of Salinas, Brittany Lambert of Oroville, Robin Lynde of Vacaville, Doug Phillips of Visalia and Mackenzie Yerian of Tracy.
In the Budding Artists category for photographers age 13 and younger, 12-year-old Lily Wirz of Cienega Valley won First Place for a close-up of her rooster, Chick-a-Boom. Grady Rocca, a 12-year-old from Fresno, won Second Place for a close-up of Thompson Seedless grapes from a neighbor’s vineyard. Both prizes were presented by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.
All 12 prize-winning photos were published in Ag Alert, the California Farm Bureau’s biweekly newspaper. The photos are also on all California Farm Bureau websites—www.cfbf.com and www.agalert.com—and will appear on its social media pages.
Winning photos may be viewed and downloaded for publication here or by clicking the image below.
California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches as part of a nationwide network representing more than 5 million Farm Bureau members. Learn more at www.cfbf.com or follow @cafarmbureau on Instagram, LinkedIn, X or Facebook.
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