Houston County 4-H Meats Team represents Alabama at the 2007 National 4-H Meats Judging event in Manhattan, KS

Pictured L-R Extension 4-H Agent Sheila Andreasen, Brad Baker, Kara Whatley, Kara Clark, Reba Hicks and County Extension Coordinator/ Coach Willie Durr

          Houston County 4-H proudly represented Alabama in the 2007 National Meats Judging event recently in Manhattan, Kansas. Houston County team members were: Kara Clark, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Scott Clark and a senior at Wicksburg; Reba Hicks , daughter of Rachel Hicks and a senior at Rehobeth; Kara Whatley, daughter of Kristie Whatley and freshman at Auburn; and Brad Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Baker and a junior at Ariton High. County Extension Coordinator and coach, Willie Durr and Extension Agent, Sheila Andreasen accompanied the team.
          Houston county members competed at the National Western Meats Judging event in Denver in January and came home to win the 2007 STATE CHAMPION title in July and the right to represent Alabama in the national contest. 4-H Meats Judging program includes three divisions: 1) Placing retail and wholesale cuts of beef, pork or lamb and evaluating pork or beef carcasses; 2)Three sets of Oral reasons on placing the classes, and 3) Identification of 30 retail beef, pork and lamb cuts- including the wholesale cut, retail name and cookery method.
          The contest was held at Kansas State University meats lab in Manhattan on Wednesday with an awards breakfast on Thursday at the American Royal livestock show grounds in Kansas City. Teams from sixteen states attended this top level competition. Alabama placed 9th in Beef and Oral Reasons, 11th in Pork and Retail ID, finishing 10th overall in the nation.
          Following the awards program students took time out to visit the American Royal, tour the cattle barns, watch the youth swine exhibitors, Limousin and Shorthorn cattle shows and attend the trade show.
 

Thank You to Shelia Andreasen for this information