– IFA Cowboy Poetry Roundup –

The sun has set on IFA’s Cowboy Poetry Search!

There’s a special kind of magic in the words of a cowboy poetry, and you all proved it during IFA's Cowboy Poetry Roundup. While we’re no longer taking entries, our hearts are full from reading your stories.

Congratulations to this year's winners. Thank you for more than a century of trust, hard work and growing with our IFA Cooperative. We can’t wait to see what we’ll harvest together in the century to come.

1. Write

Got a great idea? Put it down on paper. All entries must be the entrant’s original content so start writing your best poems and stories. Submit a written or typed copy of your poem(s) for entry. HANDWRITTEN ENTRIES MUST BE LEGIBLE.

2. Record

Part of great cowboy poetry lies in presentation. A recording of yourself delivering your poem is not necessary for entry. However, additional points will be awarded for entries that include a video presentation of the poem(s).

3. Submit

Once your poem(s) is written (required) and recorded (optional), submit as many as you like by filling out the entry form on our website.

How to Submit:

Upload digital versions of your poem. You may either take a picture of your hand-written piece or download the digital version and save it as a jpg or PDF file.
Fill out the required contact and consent information. A parent or guardian must confirm their consent if you are under 18.
Optional: Upload video recordings to YouTube and include a viewable link on the entry form. *Please note that your video and Youtube page must be public for consideration.

Entry Selection

Winning entries will be selected internally by a panel of qualified IFA judges. Points will be awarded for written submissions with additional points awarded for video submissions. Entries will be judged on:

Content

The most points will be awarded in this category. Content will be judged for the quality of the story. What is your story about? Is your message conveyed clearly and in a meaningful way? Funny, serious or satirical it doesn’t matter. We are just looking for content that depicts the agricultural lifestyle.

Creativity

Like content, creativity will account for a large proportion of an entry’s score. Think of out-of-the-box ways to tell your story but make sure it is something that others will connect with.

Flow

Cowboy poetry is about rhythm. Rhyming scheme or no rhyming scheme, make sure your poem flows just the way you want it to.

*Optional: Video Presentation

Entries submitted with a video recording of the poem may be awarded additional points. Video quality and presentation will be considered. Keep in mind that cowboy poems/stories are about a lifestyle so backgrounds and even appearance can help convey your message.