As many as 500,000 children work on farms in the United States. By U.S. law, they need only be as old as 12, as long as they are working alongside a parent. What's more, as long as they are 12 or older, the hours they work in the fields before and after school can be unlimited. 

The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), which has as its mission improving the quality of life for migrant and seasonal farmworker children by advocating for educational opportunities, is opening a contest to children between 10 to 18 years old, from migrant or seasonal farmworker families, whose experiences, the AFOP says, often go untold.

"This contest invites youth to express themselves through graphics or the written word.  The goal is to provide a safe venue for children to voice themselves and to receive recognition not just for their artistic or writing ability, but also for their unique life experiences," the organization stated in its announcement of the contest. 

Some of the topics the organization suggests, that fall within the the "From our hands to your table" theme for this year, include:  What kinds of crops does their family work? Does their family move from house to house each year? What challenges do farmworker families and children face? Describe a typical work day for a farmworker. And, what dreams do they have for their future and how will they get there? The children can submit an 8.5 x 11 inch poster, or essays with word count determined by age — 250 words for 10 to 13 year olds, and 500 to 700 words for 14 to 18 year olds — and can be submitted in either English or Spanish. 

The deadline for entry is Aug. 15. For more information about the submission process visit http://afop.org/children-in-the-fields/connect-with-cif/.