Join the 4-H Meat Judging Team! First Practice – Thursday, February 8th

Youth interested in livestock are strongly encouraged to join the 2024 4-H Meat Judging Team! Practices start February 8th and continue through April. The State 4-H Meat Judging Contest will take place Saturday, April 27th at the Animal Science Building on the OSU Campus in Columbus. Reach out to Meat Judging Coach, Sarah Doner, if questions!

Join the 4-H Meat Judging Team! First Practice – Monday, February 6th

Youth interested in livestock are strongly encouraged to join the 2023 4-H Meat Judging Team! Practices start February 6th and continue through April. The State 4-H Meat Judging Contest will take place Saturday, April 29th at the Animal Science Building on the OSU Campus in Columbus.

Reach out to Meat Judging Coach, Sarah Doner, if questions!

Meat Judging Practice (Open House) – open to 4-H/FFA youth

On November 5th, the meat science program, in the Department of Animal Sciences, will open their doors for all meat judging teams to practice on carcasses, wholesale cuts, and retail ID. Everyone is welcome to take advantage of our product. Doors will be open from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm. OSU will provide hairnets, beard nets and disposable frocks (for those needing). If you are interested in attending, please contact Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.

Ohio 4-H Animal Science Youth Events, Dates, and Resources

Attached is a calendar with the dates of State 4-H and Ohio State Fair youth livestock/animal science events: 2022 State 4-H Animal Sciences Calendar.  Also, below, are links to pages where you can find resources by animal project area. 😊

Other good information on livestock can be found on the extension team pages:

Youth Opportunity: Virtual Youth Meat Judging Summer Series

As the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) explores opportunities to attract, develop, and connect meat science talent,  AMSA will be hosting our first virtual meat judging summer series (4 virtual meat judging contests) targeted to youth (3rd-12th grade, 4-H, FFA students, etc.). Participants will compete in divisions based on their upcoming grade: Youth (3rd-7th grade) and Senior Division (8th-12th grade). Divisions will be based on the grade the student is going into the upcoming academic year. The contest will consist of 6 placing classes, 2 questions classes, quality grading (6) and 40 Retail Identification. Participants will register via the AMSA website.

Contest Dates

  • June 23, 2021
  • July 7, 2021
  • July 21, 2021
  • August 4, 2021

Contests will be open for 48 hrs. and the participant must complete the contest and submit the electronic scantron within the contest time allotment.  Additional contest guidelines will be posted in the AMSA community platform in which the contests will be facilitated. 

Points

  • Contests will be scored, and results will be posted to judgingcard.com and the AMSA website the Monday following the contest.  All results across categories will be posted, but points will be earned on the overall ranking only. 
  • Count top 3 contest rank finishes.  Students placing 1 through 20 will receive rank points.  For example, 1st place will receive 20 points, 2nd = 19 points, etc.  The students will the five highest point totals will be eligible for awards.

Awards

Youth Division- Top five students receive awards

  • 1st- $500 scholarship, 2nd- $250, 3rd- $100, 4th- $100, 5th- $50; Top 5 receive a complimentary AMSA Youth Membership

Senior Division- Top five students receive awards

  • 1st- 1,500 scholarship, 2nd- $1,000 scholarship, 3rd- $750 scholarship, 4th- $500 scholarship, 5th- $250 scholarship; Top 5 receive a complimentary AMSA Youth Membership

Registration – To register for the virtual clinics/ contests:

  • Click here to register!
  • Registration Fee: $100 per participant
  • Registration Fee Includes: 4 Contest Registrations, Electronic Scantrons, and Summer Series T-Shirt

Contest Eligibility:

  • Participants should be in 3rd-12th grade.
  • Participating in any of these contests does not impact eligibility for the in person National 4-H Contest.

Virtual 4H/FFA Meat Judging (meatscience.org)

If you have any additional questions please email lfrenzel@meatscience.org

Applications Accepted for 2020 Barrow and Lamb MQP until May 1 – SUBMIT electronically through Virtual Mailbox!

Entries – or perhaps, more appropriately applications for entry – for the 2020 Fairfield County Jr. Fair Barrow and Lamb MQP programs are now being accepted by the OSU Extension office. To be considered for a spot in either the 2020 Barrow or Lamb MQP contests, an application along with an essay not to exceed 300 words must be postmarked, or be received by OSU Extension by May 1st, 2020 and can be submitted online to our 4-H Member Mailbox. Click here to access this link: http://go.osu.edu/memmailbox

Barrows will be harvested and processed at Bay Packing in Fairfield County. In order to accommodate such a large harvest and process the pork in a timely fashion, participants or those who have purchased the freezer pork from the participants, must agree to pick up their fresh, frozen pork prior to the Fair at a time yet to be announced. Cured product, such as bacon or ham, will be available for pick-up at a time yet to be determined after the Fair.

Lambs will also be harvested at Bay Packing. Likewise with the freezer pork, in order to be able to accommodate such a large harvest and process the lamb in a timely fashion, participants or those who have purchased the freezer lamb from the participants must agree to pick up their fresh frozen lamb prior to the Fair at a time yet to be announced.

The application process being required is intended to allow the Barrow and Lamb MQP Show Committees the opportunity to clearly communicate in a timely fashion to participants where they rank on the participant list. The subjective and age appropriate evaluation of the essays by several ‘judges’ will serve as the basis for that ranking that will be completed and announced by May 15 or as soon as possible.

Both Fairfield County’s Barrow and Lamb MQP programs will operate under the following guidelines:

  1. Applications for the 2020 Barrow and/or Lamb MQP programs must be postmarked, emailed or received in the OSU Extension office by the end of business on May 1, 2020. The blank applications are available in the Member Handbook or may be downloaded here: Barrow MQP : Lamb MQP
  2. Along with the application, on a separate paper an essay, not to exceed 300 words, must be included for each contest that is entered. The title of the essay is to be, “Why I want to participate in a livestock project that’s focused on producing high quality pork/lamb that meets the consumer’s demand.”
  3. The essays will be scored and ranked by an independent panel of judges. Only the author’s age, not their name, will be revealed to the judges. Applicants will receive notice by May 15 or as soon as possible of their ranking on the participants list.
  4. If a participant must withdraw from the program, he/she must agree to notify the OSU Extension office immediately in order that participants that ranked below them may be moved up on the list.
  5. MQP barrows must be in the exhibitor’s possession by July 15, and tagged by the club/chapter advisor between July 20 and 31. The live MQP barrows must be delivered to the Fairgrounds for the conclusion on Sunday, September 27th, between 1 and 2 p.m.
  6. MQP lambs must be brought to the Fairgrounds for tagging and weighing on July 11, and the live MQP lambs must be delivered to the Fairgrounds for the conclusion on Sunday, October 4th, between 12:30 and 1 p.m.
  7. Freezer pork and freezer lamb cutting/processing sheets must be submitted when the animals are delivered to the Fairgrounds. These sheets will made available to exhibitors in September.
  8. Immediately following delivery on their respective dates and following the live evaluations, the Show Committees will transport the animals to Bay Packing for harvest on the following morning.
  9. Carcass data for both contests will be collected at Bay’s and the scoring of the contests will be conducted under the direction of OSU Swine Specialist Dr. Steve Moeller or his designee.
  10. The fresh frozen freezer pork and lamb must be picked up at a time yet to be determined prior to the Fair. Smoked/cured pork product will be available after the Fair.
  11. A concluding educational program where the placings will be announced will be scheduled at a time and place yet to be determined prior to the Fair.

Exhibitors are also reminded that MQP barrows must be in compliance with the new rules regarding the ban of ractopamine for all 2020 Fairfield County swine shows. Find details regarding the Fairfield County Senior Fairboard action to hold ractopamine-free swine shows in 2020 linked here.

We are privileged to have a local packing house such as Bay Packing who is willing and able to help facilitate the Fairfield County Barrow and Lamb MQP programs by harvesting and processing at least 30 barrows and 25 lambs. We also appreciate the effort of faculty and students in the OSU Animal Science Department who are willing to help score and facilitate this unique program.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the OSU Extension office, Barrow MQP Show Superintendent Bryan Black, or Lamb MQP Show Superintendent Kris Doyle.

Join the 4-H Meat Judging Team! First Practice: Monday, January 13th!

Youth interested in livestock are strongly encouraged to join the 4-H Meat Judging Team! The first meeting/practice will be held Monday, January 13th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at Bloom Carroll High School in the Ag Room.

For a complete list of meeting/practice dates: 2020 Meat Judging Calendar

Attention Adults interested in BEEF!

For those adults interested in the Beef Industry, please check out this opportunity. As a former participant, I STRONGLY recommend! -Leslie Cooksey

BEEF 509 Registration Open!

The beef Checkoff funded BEEF 509 program is held to raise the awareness level about the beef that is produced and what goes into producing a high-quality and consistent product. The program will take place on two consecutive Saturdays, February 22 and 29, 2020 at The Ohio State University’s Animal Sciences building in Columbus, OH. It is critical to attend both sessions as participants are assigned to teams they will work with throughout the program.

Beef 509 Weekend 1 will include:

  • Live animal evaluation session
  • Grid pricing discussion

Beef 509 Weekend 2 will include:

  • Carcass grading session
  • Hands-on meat fabrication

If interest in BEEF 509 exceeds the 32 spaces provided, names will be held and applicants notified of upcoming sessions. The registration fee for each BEEF 509 participant is $150. The program is the result of a partnership with the Ohio Beef Council, Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation, The Ohio State University Extension and The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences. These entities will be funding all remaining costs associated with the BEEF 509 program. If interested in signing up click here.

Interested in the 2020 4-H Meat Judging Team?

The Fairfield County 4-H Meat Judging Team will soon begin to meet to prepare for the State 4-H Meat Judging Contest this spring. Coaches, Caitlyn Black and James Maynard, are ready to recruit members to join the 2020 Fairfield County 4-H Meat Judging Team! A schedule of practices will be shared soon. Let us know  if you are interested in this opportunity by emailing Leslie at cooksey.25@osu.edu.