The Erie County Farm Bureau (ECFB) is calling on young Pennsylvania residents to take part in its annual Safety Contest, open to children and teens between the ages of 4 and 18. No farm background or Farm Bureau membership is required — the only eligibility requirement is Pennsylvania residency.

This year’s theme, “SAFE on the Farm,” focuses on fire prevention and features three age-based categories. Children ages 4 to 6 may enter a coloring page competition; those ages 7 to 12 can submit an original poster; and teenagers ages 13 to 18 are invited to create and submit their own video. Local winning entries will advance to the state level, where they will compete against submissions from across Pennsylvania.

The contest, which began in the 1990s, is sponsored by the ECFB Women’s Leadership Committee. Kathleen Maas, ECFB secretary for the board of directors and chair of the Women’s Leadership Committee, said the county has a proud tradition of producing state-level winners.

“A few years ago, Erie County had a brother and sister duo — the Abercrombies — who won in the poster and video categories,” Maas said. She noted that the coloring contest typically draws the most participants, followed by the poster category, while the video contest, though newer, has been steadily gaining traction. 

“Each year we get one or two more [entries] than the previous year,” she added.

The deadline to submit entries is April 30. All entries must be mailed or delivered to 8533 Singer Road, North East, PA 16428-4243. Coloring pages and posters must be on standard 8.5″ by 11″ paper, and video submissions must be provided on a flash drive. Every entry must include the child’s name, parent’s name, the child’s age, a mailing address and the words “Erie County Farm Bureau” on the back of the submission. Parents of video contestants must also sign a video release form. Full contest details and the coloring page are available at www.pfb.com/safety-contests/, or interested families may call 814-725-8153.

Cash prizes are awarded to both first- and second-place winners in each category at both the local and state levels.

The Erie County Farm Bureau encourages all eligible youth in the region to participate and submit their creative work before the deadline.