Entries from the first annual farmland preservation art contest, sponsored by the Greencastle-Antrim High School art department and the Franklin County Planning Commission, can be viewed in the community center building through Thursday. The contest was open to students and adults alike.

Paige Penrod, a senior at Greencastle-Antrim High School, was honored as the grand prize winner of the show during an awards ceremony Friday.

Carolyn Baker, GAHS art department chair, spearheaded the art competition. A farm owned by her parents, John and Doris Koons, was the first farm in Franklin County to be in the Franklin County Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Now, 96 farms with a total of 23,897 acres are in the program.

"By recognizing local artists it is our desire to bring community awareness to the long-term need to conserve our most important natural, scenic, agricultural and historic features of Franklin County," she said. "We hope to plant seeds of awareness in the youth. Not only are they pretty pictures, but they have deep meanings and present information. The contest entrants had to study the topic of farmland preservation and present the theme in art."

Doug Wolfgang, executive director of the Bureau of Farmland Preservation in Pennsylvania, said Franklin County is ninth in the state in

Franklin County Commissioners also spoke at the presentation.

Commissioner Bob Thomas said land preservation is a partnership between the state, counties and most recently with Antrim, Washington and Greene townships participating in 2008. "We couldn't have done this project without community support for farm preservation and Carolyn Baker for her leadership," Thomas said.

"This competition and event raises awareness among our youth of the importance of farms to our way of life," Commissioner David Keller said.

Commissioner Bob Ziobrowski, who performed the first agricultural preservation easement appraisals in the county more than 15 years ago, said, "It's wonderful to see how the program has grown. The artwork conveys the great appreciation for preserving our quality of life."

Sherri Clayton, staff member for the agricultural board and senior planner of the Franklin County Planning Department, was honored for her efforts. The GAHS chamber choir received a standing ovation for their performance during the ceremony.

In addition to the artwork, the exhibit included a display of photos of Franklin County's preserved farms.

Winners received trophies and their artwork will be displayed at the farm show, and used for advertising purposes.

The winners

Paige Penrod, a senior at GAHS, won a check for $250 and a trophy. Her drawing of a Holstein incorporated computer graphics and colored pencil with farm scenes on the animal.

"I thought it would be nice to incorporate the animal and farmland in one piece," she said.

Other winners

- Nancy DuPont, adult category, for a photograph of an Amish buggy and gasoline pump

- Katy Mitchell, high school category (James Buchanan High School)

- Sabrina Wagaman, middle school category (Greencastle-Antrim Middle School)

- Logan Cline, elementary school category (Greencastle-Antrim Elementary School)