It was a day of meat and cheese judging, Tuesday, at the Southeast District Judging Contest, hosted by Allen Community College.
Iola High School’s B-team and A-team placed first and third respectively in the dairy cattle division. Individually, Elka Billings placed second overall and Torre DePriest placed third. Marmaton Valley’s A-team took first place in the milk quality division. Team member Noah Pilcher placed second overall and Emily Smart placed third.
Students from 16 high schools throughout southeastern Kansas competed in poultry, cattle and dairy categories. Agriculture instructor Terry Powelson said the number of students who participated in this year’s FFA event was encouraging. Two hundred ninety-three students used their agricultural “know-how” to evaluate everything from chicken carcass quality to ready-to-eat products, and from milk quality to udder development and structure of cattle.
“These are kids that maybe are not necessarily going to go back to the farm to do farm work,” Powelson said, “But they are going to get some kind of job opportunity in agriculture.”
Girard High School student Mary Zimmerman said the contest is an invaluable way to see how food gets from the farm to the table. She has developed a passion for meat judging.
“Now when I go to the store, if we need to buy steak or hamburger, I know what to look for,” she said. “The qualities of a good piece of meat are interesting.”
Powelson said the event is a “win-win” opportunity for ACC. By hosting the event, students gain a unique experience while potential students get the opportunity to see programs the college offers.
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