What do farmers, tractors, corn, veterinarians and combines have in common? They are the clever costumes that rose to the top in the Farm Journal’s PORK Farm-Themed Costume Contest.
After a panel of three costume experts (aka Farm Journal friends Amy Mills, Taylor Leach and Cheyenne Kramer) narrowed down the 20 contest entries to a top 5, those entries were shared on social media for the final vote. The top two will receive gift cards from Farm Journal’s PORK.
“It wasn’t easy to select a winner for this contest. Each costume showcased next-level creativity and many were clearly a labor of love for the whole family. It’s great to see the next generation getting excited about life on the farm,” judge Cheyenne Kramer says.
The top five winners are as follows:
1st place: Farmer and Cow
“This little farmer and his trusty cow are ready to take on chores and candy-collecting alike,” says Judge Taylor Leach. “That trusty tractor is sure to put on a few hours on Halloween night!”
The adorable farmer and cow entry submitted by Rebecca Fields of Midland, Mich., won the most votes in the contest. The photo was taken of Logan, 4, and Lillian, 8 months, earlier this month, Fields says.
“My son loves all things farming, and he wanted to be a farmer for Halloween. Making his baby sister a cow seemed like the perfect addition for the farm theme,” Fields says. “He loves to watch the farm equipment in the field, so I thought having him sit on the John Deere tractor with the corn field in the background was so fitting. Getting to haul around his sister in the trailer was just an added bonus!”
2nd place: John Deere Tractor and Corn
“A tractor and an ear of corn go hand-in-hand in farming,” says judge Amy Mills. “And these adorable costumes and kids remind us that the best memories are made together—whether on a farm or at Halloween!”
This popular entry was submitted by Dallas Klauser of Liberty, Ill., featuring her kids Chisum (left) and Hayzen from Halloween 2023.
“Chisum asked to be a combine for Halloween, and I always try to do family theme costumes,” Klauser said regarding her inspiration for the costume combo.
3rd place: Case IH Combine
“It’s obvious the amount of work and attention to detail that went into this costume during a season that’s already so busy for farm families,” says judge Cheyenne Kramer of this year’s third-place winner. “It will definitely be one this family talks about for years to come with fond memories.”
This creative entry of Oliver, 4, was submitted by Kristen Farney of Philo, Ill. She took the photo in early October.
“Oliver is obsessed with any and everything farming. My family farms locally and most of our machinery is Case IH. So when we asked Oli what he wanted to be for Halloween this year he said he wanted to be a red Case IH combine with a bean head and so my husband took some materials we had laying around and made Oli’s dreams come true,” Farney says. “We have since added lights to the front to guide his way through his night harvests! And if you are around Oli when he has it on, you will hear the sounds of a combine.”
4th place: John Deere Tractor
“What great imagination and creativity this costume shows. Plus the scene captures the heart of childhood on the farm, where simple joys and endless adventures come to life with the beautiful evening sky,” Mills says of the fourth place winner.
Henry, 3, is excited to take this replica of his Pappy’s John Deere 4440 out on Halloween night.
“Henry loves tractors and helping on the farm,” says his mom Maddie Stierwalt who created his eye-catching costume.
5th place: Veterinarian and Vet-in-Training
“Dressed for the job he dreams of! This kid is stepping into big boots,” Leach says of the fifth-place winner. “A future vet in the making? We think so!”
Veterinarian Jake Hege and his son, Owen, dressed up together as veterinarians a few years ago, says Beth Hege of Rensselaer, Ind., who took the photo 10 years ago.
“Owen always wanted to dress like his dad at that age. When we asked him that year what he wanted to be for Halloween, he said, ‘a cow doctor like dad.’ I fortunately found some green coveralls online and he added the sleeve that evening for an accessory,” Hege says.
Your Next Read: The Best Halloween Costumes Tie Back to the Farm
