Joelle Naphan received the top honor and a $1,000 prize for a silhouette photograph showing a man on horseback throwing a lasso. Photo courtesy of the California Farm Bureau

OROVILLE, CA (MPG) - A rancher from Oroville earned first place in the 44th annual California Farm Bureau Photo Contest, which drew hundreds of entries from amateur photographers across the state.

Joelle Naphan received the top honor and a $1,000 prize for a silhouette photograph showing a man on horseback throwing a lasso. Naphan said her interest in photography grew from her agricultural upbringing.

“Agriculture is an art that has been refined by multiple generations, just as this particular loop my brother was throwing has been refined by hours of practice,” Naphan said.

The 2025 contest featured images captured with cameras and smartphones by members of county Farm Bureaus statewide.

Michelle Foster of Santa Maria placed second and received $500 for a photograph of a tractor in a vineyard. Sean Long of Grass Valley earned third place and $250 for a photo of his dog, Rosie, taken on his family’s ranch. Laura McGrath of Marysville won the People’s Choice award and $100 for a photo of her 1-year-old granddaughter, Riley Bird, sitting in a bin of fruit.

Honorable mentions went to Jacob Balakian of Reedley, Lisa Branco of Salinas, Brittany Lambert of Oroville, Robin Lynde of Vacaville, Doug Phillips of Visalia and Mackenzie Yerian of Tracy.

In the Budding Artists category for photographers ages 13 and younger, 12-year-old Lily Wirz of Cienega Valley won first place for a close-up photograph of her rooster, Chick a Boom. Grady Rocca, 12, of Fresno took second place for a close-up image of Thompson Seedless grapes from a neighboring vineyard. The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom presented both awards.

All 12 winning photographs appeared in “Ag Alert”, the biweekly newspaper of the California Farm Bureau. The photos also appear on Farm Bureau websites and social media platforms.

The California Farm Bureau represents family farms and ranches as part of a national network serving more than five million members nationwide.