The team from Columbia County took top honors in the senior division of the State 4-H meats Contest held Feb 18 at University of Wisconsin Madison Meat Laboratory.  Team members were Jessica Taylor, Hannah Taylor, Amanda Wendt and Emily Seib.  They were coached by Todd Taylor and Jessica Palmer.  These 4-H members will represent Wisconsin at the National 4-H Meats Judging Contest to be held this fall in Kansas City.

The second place senior team, which will represent Wisconsin at a contest in Denver, Colorado, was from Polk Co. Team members included Rylee Black, Mitchell Johnston, Reese Johnston and Kaitlynn Filkins.  The team was coached by Brian Johnston.

The State Contest consisted of evaluating classes of hams, beef, pork and lamb carcasses, and 2 retail cut classes.  The youth also identified 40 retail cuts of beef, pork or lamb and graded 5 beef carcasses.

The top ten senior individual’s judges, in order, were:  Aaron Zimmerman, Marathon and Cora Demler, Green; Amanda Wendt, Columbia; Hannah Taylor, Columbia; Jessica Taylor, Columbia; Abby Thunder, Marathon; Cordt Esser, Grant; Rylee Black, Polk; Emily Seib, Columbia; Chance Richards, Columbia; and Ashley Zimmerman, Marathon.

The top junior team was from Grant County.  Team members were:  Lena Frank, Dillin Meier, Matthew Walz and Jonathon Tolle.  The team is coached by Dennis & Amanda Patterson.  The second place junior team was from Columbia County.  Team members were:  Justin Taylor, Emily Taylor, Max Ripp and Haden Ripp.  They were coached by Todd Taylor and Jessica Palmer.

The top ten junior individual judges, in order, were:  Lena Frank, Grant; Dillin Meier, Grant; Justin Taylor, Columbia; Morgan Wollin, Dodge; Katelyn Zimmerman, Marathon; Emily Taylor, Columbia; Erika Heiden, Polk; Gus Swenson, Polk; Nicole Dittbrenner, Polk; and Matthew Walz, Grant.

Sponsors for the State 4-H Meats contest include The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and UW-Extension.  The contest is organized annually by Extension Meats Specialist, Jeff Sindelar, Extension Youth Livestock Specialist, Bernie O’Rourke and Interim 4-H Youth Development Specialist Pam Hobson.

All results and pictures are available on this website.  https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/youthlivestock/programs/4hmeatscontest/

For more information contact: Pam Hobson (608) 262-2050 or Bernie O’Rourke 608-263-4304.

This article was posted in Beef, Meats Judging, Sheep, Swine and tagged beef, lamb, pork.