Escambia County 4-H is proud to announce that the intermediate and senior 4-H meat judging teams placed third and fourth, respectively, at the state meat judging contest. This was the first time Escambia County 4-H has taken a meat judging team to the state contest in over twenty years. The contest was held on April 21 at the Meat Processing Center at the University of Florida. Participants had to identify 50 retail cuts, place six retail/primal/carcass classes, identify parts on a beef and pork carcass, and answer questions relating to the meat industry.

The senior team comprised of youth ages 14-18, included Jessica Conti, Blake Stevenson, Ethan Thorne and Hannah Thorne. When the individual scores were tallied, Jessica was the ninth high individual and Hannah was the tenth high individual at the state contest. The intermediate team, a combination of youth ages 11-13 from three different counties, included Alan Bray-Crews from Escambia County.

The 4-H meat judging program develops life skills through activities related to the processing of beef, pork, and lamb, including retail identification, factors relating to meat quality, and cooking methods. Participants developed an understanding and appreciation of the basic scientific principles involved in eating and cooking quality, nutritional value, and consumer appeal of meat. 4-H members on the team also learned life skills such as effective decision-making, critical thinking, goal setting, and teamwork.

The Escambia County 4-H meat judging teams would like to thank Publix on Pine Forest, Winn-Dixie on Hwy 29 in Cantonment, and The Butcher Shoppe on Langley in Pensacola for allowing the teams to practice at their facilities. Community support like this helps the Escambia County 4-H program remain successful. Thank you for supporting the youth in Escambia County and helping us place at the state contest!

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