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Walker Elrod was recently named the state winner of the 2021 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Middle School Essay Contest.

Elrod was a seventh-grade student at Grace Christian Academy when he wrote his winning essay earlier this year. He is the son of Samantha Rentz of Bainbridge.

As the state winner, he won a $150 prize and $100 for being the top winner from Georgia Farm Bureau’s 9th District, which includes 14 counties in Southwest Georgia. Elrod’s essay can be read at www.gfb.ag/Elrodessay .

The contest was open to all public, private and home-schooled sixth through eighth graders in Georgia. The 45 county Farm Bureaus that held local contests submitted their top winners to GFB from which 10 district winners and a state winner were chosen. Essays were judged on clarity of thought and writing skill.

Students were encouraged to explore GFB’s Certified Farm Market and Farm Passport program in writing their essays. In their essays, students were asked to address the contest question: How do GFB Certified Farm Markets and agritourism benefit farmers and consumers?

“Georgia Farm Bureau’s Middle School Essay Contest is where research and creativity meet. We provide a topic, the students do the research, and then they help us tell the story of agriculture,” said GFB Women’s Leadership Committee Chairman Heather Cabe. “Tackling a writing prompt outside of assigned classroom curriculum is no small task. It makes me extremely excited to see students going the extra mile for agriculture!”

The Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee coordinated the statewide contest. Locally, the Decatur County Farm Bureau coordinated the contest.

“We are proud of Walker for being selected as the statewide and 9th District winner of the Georgia Farm Bureau Essay Contest,” said Decatur County Farm Bureau President Justin Long. “On behalf of Decatur County Farm Bureau, I would like to thank the students and teachers who participated in our essay contest.”

Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization. As a membership-driven, nongovernment organization, GFB serves as the voice of Georgia farmers and rural Georgia by advocating for them on legislative issues and promoting Georgia crops. GFB membership is open to the public and offers a wide variety of benefits, including insurance and discounts for health, travel and entertainment services. Enrollment in any of the member benefits is optional and not a requirement for membership.