Question: I'm hesitant to enter the contest simply
because I feel like the odds of winning are greatly in favor of those who can
express themselves eloquently in writing versus those who might be able to show
their character and intent in some other context. An essay seems so subjective
and anyone with enough money can simply hire a writer to write a winning essay.
I feel like worthiness can't be fairly assessed based on an essay. Perhaps
you could help me understand how the scoring process will take into
consideration not just the writers' skills, but also their true hearts' intent
with your beloved farm.
Answer: Thank you for expressing your concerns. The
rules specifically state the person who writes the essay must be the name on
the entry form; this is an attempt to curtail those who might be tempted to
hire a writer. To make the contest legal, there must be a level of skill, hence
the scoring rubric for grammar, usage, spelling, content, etc. However, the
heart is what matters mostly to us. We want to feel the writer's passion; we
can't score "heart." That passion is something that will need to hit
us, and, yes, it is subjective. I can see where we have a pile of essays and
every score is a "4." So what will we do? We will have to read
between the lines and feel the writer's passion. My husband and I need to agree
on the 25 finalists, and then we will give that group to a panel of judges who
need to agree.
Unfortunately, this isn't a perfect model
because we are human. We have tried putting enough structure into the process
to enable the writer's character and intent to shine brightly. With that said, there is nothing unethical
with seeking help. Ask a teacher at a local school, or someone you trust and
admire to help you polish your writing. Most word processing programs have spell
checkers and grammar checkers; use them. Follow the writing tips I posted -
especially reading your essay aloud. The tips will help!
