State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has announced the winning photographers for the 2026 Cream of the Crop Photography Contest, which provides Illinois students with a creative opportunity to share their vision of agriculture in the state. The top nine photographers, ages 8 to 18, will be awarded Bright Start 529 college savings scholarships.
“Congratulations to the young Illinoisans who explored their surroundings, tapped into their creativity, and experimented with their photographic skills by participating in our Cream of the Crop contest,” Frerichs said. “These students’ photos truly reflect the beauty and diversity of Illinois agriculture, which is second to none.”
The winning photographs will be displayed Aug. 13-23 at the Illinois State Fair in the Treasurer’s Tent. You can see the photos of the top three finishers in each of the three age categories on the State Treasurer’s website: illinoistreasurer.gov/home/financial-institutions/invest-in-illinois/ag-invest/cream-of-the-crop-photo-contest/photo-winners-2026. Winning entries and other photo submissions will be featured in the 2026-2027 Ag Invest calendar, and the first-place photos also will be displayed in the lobby of the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office building in downtown Springfield.
The contest consisted of three age groups — ages 8-10, 11-14 and 15-18. In each age category, first-place winners will receive a $1,000 Bright Start 529 scholarship, second-place winners will receive a $500 scholarship, and third-place winners will receive a $250 scholarship.
Carter Storm of Windsor won first place in the 11-14 age bracket for his photo, “Cutting Wheat.”
Treasurer Frerichs administers the Bright Start 529 and Bright Directions 529 programs to assist families in saving and investing for higher education expenses such as at a university or college, community college, trade school or apprenticeship. For more information, visit BrightStart.com and BrightDirections.com.
The 2026 Cream of the Crop contest attracted 152 entries from students across Illinois. A panel of judges selected the winning photos. The judges were Scott Rhoads, regional president of Carrollton Bank; Gary Mueller, vice president of Havana National Bank; and Mary Morgan, vice president of Compeer Financial.
About 1,000 students have participated in the contest since it began in 2013.
The Cream of the Crop contest is part of the Illinois State Treasurer’s Ag Invest program. Ag Invest offers loan opportunities for Illinois farmers and agri-businesses to start, expand, or add value to their farm operations. As one of the nation’s largest agricultural-linked deposit programs, Ag Invest has supported more than 13,000 borrowers and partnered with more than 80 financial institutions since 2015, when Frerichs became treasurer.
Treasurer Frerichs has invited the first-place winners to an Aug. 14 reception on Agriculture Day at the State Fair.