Anne Dumke from Neustrelitz has captured hearts and judges alike with her winning photograph titled "Cuddling in the Piglet Nest," taking first place in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Farmers' Association's annual photography contest. Her heartwarming image of cuddling piglets showcased the tender side of agricultural life, earning her the top prize in this year's competition.
The contest saw fierce competition, with Claudia Neumann securing second place for her captivating image from the Buffalo and Sheep Farm Züsedom. Marcel Reincke rounded out the top three with his striking photograph "The Power of Harvest in the Light of the Last Hour," which captured the dramatic beauty of agricultural work during golden hour. These winning images demonstrated the diverse and often overlooked beauty of farming life in the region.
The photography competition attracted unprecedented participation this year, with over 330 photographs submitted by both amateur and professional photographers since the contest launched in spring. The online voting platform at www.landwirtschaftsfoto-mv.de recorded approximately 7,000 votes for various favorites, setting a new participation record for the annual event. This level of engagement highlighted the growing public interest in agricultural photography and rural life documentation.
"Every year, we invite people to share the most beautiful glimpses into barns and tractor cabins across our state with us and the people of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern," explained Sabine Firnhaber, Vice President of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Farmers' Association and Chairwoman of the Press and Public Relations Committee. She noted that this year brought together a particularly beautiful mix of livestock photography featuring dairy cows, mother cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, and even buffalo, alongside breathtaking field and agricultural machinery shots.
The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Farmers' Association has been organizing this photography contest since 2022, making this the fourth consecutive year of the competition. Over the course of these four years, more than 1,200 photographs showcasing agriculture in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have been collected and displayed online, creating a comprehensive visual archive of the region's farming heritage and contemporary agricultural practices.
Beyond showcasing traditional farming scenes, the submitted photographs also highlighted farmers' commitment to biodiversity conservation and renewable energy initiatives. "The pictures show how diverse and, above all, how beautiful the work of farmers is," Firnhaber emphasized, noting that the images capture aspects of agricultural life that often go unnoticed by the general public.
The winning photographs will be featured in a 2026 calendar, ensuring that these stunning agricultural images will continue to inspire viewers throughout the coming year. Additionally, all contest entries will be displayed at the Farmers' Association booth during the MeLa agricultural fair, which is scheduled to take place from September 11-14 in Mühlengeez, providing visitors with an opportunity to view the complete collection of submitted works in person.
