Secretary Naig Honors 16 Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar Contest Winners at the 2023 Iowa State Fair
Annual coloring calendar contest showcases student artists and Iowa agriculture
DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 15, 2023) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recognized 16 Iowa students today whose artwork was selected for inclusion in the 2023-2024 Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar. The ceremony was held in the Agriculture Building during the 2023 Iowa State Fair.
"Choose Iowa is all about connecting consumers to the high-quality products that are grown, raised and made in Iowa,” said Secretary Naig. “Iowa is fortunate to have so many talented students, and we are pleased to see how our youngest Iowans are taking the opportunity to learn more about Iowa agriculture and showcase our state in these artistic entries."
The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received over 120 submissions from K-12 students across the state and 16 student artists were selected for the annual calendar.
The 2023 winners, listed alphabetically by last name, include:
- Maggie Belloma, Centerville, IA
- Lyndley Dooley, Centerville, IA
- Eveyln Douglas, Keystone, IA
- Autumn Greenless, Adel, IA
- Vylan Jacobi, Belle Plaine, IA
- Madlynn Kehret, Charles City, IA
- Izabella Kochyt, Belle Plaine, IA
- Ryker Kooima, Rock Valley, IA
- Mackenzie Mommsen, DeWitt, IA
- Isaac Postma, Rock Valley, IA
- Regina Ivanova Reynoso-Reyes, Rock Valley, IA
- Drithi Chandra Udutha, Bettendorf, IA
- Lina Yu, West Des Moines, IA
The 2023 honorable mentions, include:
- Zoey Brandt, Belle Plaine, IA
- Cade Pfeiler, Cedar Rapids, IA
- Brooke Webber, West Branch, IA
High quality photos of the winners receiving their certificates will be available within one month of the ceremony on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Flickr page.
The free 2023-2024 calendar will be available to fairgoers at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s booths in the Agriculture Building and Varied Industries Building.
Students who are 18 years old or younger are invited to submit a drawing for next year’s Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar (Sept. 2024 – Aug. 2025) now through May 2024. Pictures should be drawn in a horizontal orientation using only black lines on plain white, 8.5 by 11-inch paper. The pictures should not be colored in.
Artwork may be submitted by email at ChooseIowa@IowaAgriculture.gov or mailed to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Attn: Choose Iowa, 502 E. 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50319. Each submission should include the artist’s name, age, grade, school, address and hometown, along with a parent or guardian’s email and phone number.
About Choose Iowa
Choose Iowa is an agricultural marketing initiative to increase the visibility of Iowa grown and raised foods. By building on the growing demand for local foods, investing in value-added projects and helping consumers find and purchase Iowa-grown products, Choose Iowa gives farmers access to new markets and shortens the distance between farms and plates. Learn more at ChooseIowa.com.