September 18, 2025

2025 Photo Contest Winners Announced

Topic: Events

Bismarck, N.D. – NDFB’s Promotion and Education Committee has announced the 2025 NDFB agriculture photo contest winners. The contest featured three categories: Landscape, Animals, and Lifestyle. Each winner will receive $300.

Katherine Plessner, "The ranch where the Nokota horses are raised near Linton."

Katherine Plessner from Verona, N.D. won the landscape category with a scene of the sun shining through a rustic gate, casting a warm glow over the surrounding green landscape. The hills and trees along the horizon frame the quiet beauty of the ranch where Nakota horses are raised.

Emma Rognliene, "Pulling his weight at family branding." 

The winner of the lifestyle category is Emma Rognlien from Minot, N.D. Rognlien’s black-and-white image captures a young cowboy pulling his weight at family branding. Dressed in a plaid shirt, chaps, and a wide-brimmed hat, he represents the hard work and tradition of ranch life in North Dakota.

Shana Volk, "New life, lasting legacy."

The winning animal photo is by Shana Volk from Towner, N.D. This warm, light-filled image features a calf resting peacefully in the sun, its surroundings gently blurred to highlight the simple beauty of new life on the ranch.

Plessner’s landscape photo was declared the overall champion among the three winners. NDFB will auction off her photo as a canvas print during the NDFB Annual Meeting in Fargo. The scholarship live auction will take place on Friday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn. More information can be found at www.ndfb.org/events/state-annual-meeting/.

“This year’s photo contest was amazing, with 175 entries submitted,” said Samantha Froelich, chair of NDFB’s Promotion and Education Committee. “Each photo showcased so much creativity and talent.”