\In collaboration with Oregon Ag Fest, Oregon Agriculture in the classroom partners to create a fun-filled field day event for winning classroom submissions of the Essay contest. At this field day event, students have the opportunity to learn about some of the diverse crops grown across the state of Oregon. Enter to win a FREE field trip for your class or a fun inquiry box for your class! Learn more about the contest below.
All essays must be postmarked or emailed no later than Friday, March 7, 2025. Winners will be announced by March 19, 2025.
Oregon Ag Fest is hosting a special educational and fun activity day for 12 winning Oregon classes on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
The “What We’re Made Of” essay contest, sponsored by Oregon Ag Fest, is designed to get students talking about the products that are grown and raised locally and learn about the unique food, fiber and flora grown in their area. For example, did you know Oregon ranks #1 for production of 16 different agriculture products, including peppermint, onions, and Christmas trees? Or that Oregon’s biggest export is wheat, just an acre of which is enough to make 2,000 loaves of bread? How about that a hazelnut tree grows for four years before it has enough nuts to sell?
With seven different growing regions and 38,800 farms, there is plenty to learn about Oregon agriculture. The Willamette Valley alone boasts more than 170 different agricultural products. Students might pick some of the larger industries, such as hay or dairy and talk about the processes these foods go through to get from the farm to the table, or they might pick lesser-known products like dahlias, or alpacas on which to learn more. For more information on Oregon agriculture, including teacher resources, visit our commodity pages.
Essays must not exceed 250 words in length and must contain information about the food, fiber and/or flora grown locally that will help educate others about agriculture in your area
Hand-drawn pictures that reflect the essay content along with a one-sentence caption are required. An illustration form should accompany each essay. There is space at the bottom of the form to include a one-sentence summary (e.g., cool fact, something unique, or key learning about the part of Oregon agriculture that is featured in the essay) Illustration Form
Teachers may submit up to five essays from his/her classroom
Essays must include: Student’s Name, School, Teacher’s Name, Grade Level (3rd, 4th, or 5th to accomodate split classrooms)
This contest is open to schools located in Oregon
All essays must be postmarked or emailed no later than Friday, March 7, 2025. Mail essays, along with teacher contact info (including email & phone number) to:
Oregon Ag Fest
P.O. Box 9141
Salem, OR 97305
Submissions and teacher contact info can also be emailed to: info@oragfest.com
