Secretary Naig Honors 16 Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar Contest Winners at the 2024 Iowa State Fair
Annual calendar contest highlights Iowa student artists and their connections to Iowa agriculture
DES MOINES, Iowa (August 13, 2024) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recognized 16 Iowa students whose artwork was selected for inclusion in the 2024-2025 Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar during a ceremony at the 2024 Iowa State Fair.
Choose Iowa is the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, Iowa raised and Iowa made food and ag products. The annual Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar contest encourages Iowa students to create artwork that highlights the importance and productivity of Iowa agriculture. Students 18 years or younger are eligible to enter the annual contest and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received more than 200 submissions from all over the state this year.
“Choose Iowa is all about showcasing the food and ag products that are grown, raised or made in our state. It’s exciting to see our students creatively portray their connections to Iowa agriculture each year through this contest,” said Secretary Naig. “Choose Iowa is continuing to grow as a brand, and we are thrilled so many talented young people are interested in Iowa agriculture and participated in the contest this year. Their artwork will now be enjoyed by thousands of Iowans who utilize the Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar throughout the year ahead.”
This year’s selected student-artists, listed alphabetically by last name, include:
• Brantley Brown, Truro
• Blakely Carver, Fontanelle
• McCoy Collins, State Center
• Leighton Ferch, State Center
• Autumn Greenlees, Adel
• Raidly Griffith, State Center
• Sam Heiken, Norway
• Addison Joy, Shenandoah
• Sydney Kehret, Charles City
• Kira Koster, Van Horne
• Owen Nyheim, Marshalltown
• Paisley Ott, Marble Rock
• Ellie Perry-Vincent, Council Bluffs
• Addison Schrader, Mapleton
• Harper Van Ersvelde, Grinnell
• Zella Wright, Story City
Free Choose Iowa Coloring Calendars will be available for fairgoers at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s booths in the Agriculture Building and Varied Industries Building while supplies last.
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.
Students who are 18 years or younger are invited to submit a drawing for the September 2025 - August 2026 Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar. Pictures should be drawn in a horizontal orientation using only black lines on plain white, 8 ½ by 11-inch paper. The pictures should not be colored in. Artwork may be submitted electronically to ChooseIowa@IowaAgriculture.gov or mailed to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Attention: Coloring Calendar, 502 E. 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50319. Each submission should include the artist’s name, age, school, hometown and contact information.
Learn more about Choose Iowa at ChooseIowa.com