by Caden Wittrock – South O’Brien FFA Reporter
Three teams from South O’Brien competed in the State 4-H Meats Judging competition held on November 11, 2023 at Iowa State University.
The State 4-H Meats contest is a competitive event that tests students’ skills and competencies in evaluating and identifying meat carcasses and products. Event components include beef and hog carcass evaluation; beef and pork wholesale and retail placing classes; identification of wholesale and retail cuts of beef, lamb, and pork; and questions over the placing classes.
Will Stout, Brelee Rasmussen, Bensen Rohwer, and Brett Evans finished as the Overall Champion team, 1st in Questions, 1st in Retail ID, and 1st in Placings. This team will represent Iowa in October 2024 at the National 4-H Meats contest in Manhattan, Kansas.
The team of Gabe Moermond, Eliot Boardman, Austin Negus, and Ethan Schwarz earned Reserve Champion team honors as well as placing 2nd in Questions, 2nd in Retail ID, and 3rd in Placings. Team member, John Puhrmann, judged along with three individuals from Sioux County. That team placed 3rd overall.
The junior team consisted of Jasper Johnson, Hunter Lange, and Sarah Puhrmann. The junior team placed fifth overall in their division. As placings were being announced, we realized too late that four scores counted toward the team score this year. However, the team still placed 1st in the Retail ID category.
Individual placings in the senior division: Evans–Champion overall, tied for 1st in Questions, and 2nd in both Retail ID and Placings; Rasmussen–Reserve Champion overall and tied for 1st in Questions; Moermond–5th overall and 1st in Retail ID; Rohwer–6th; Negus–7th overall and tied for 1st in Questions; Schwarz–8th; Stout–9th; Boardman–10th; and J. Puhrmann-16th.
In the junior division: Johnson–Champion Overall and 1st in Retail ID; Lange–Reserve Champion Overall and 2nd in Retail ID; and 8th-S. Puhrmann.
The team practices hard during the summer to continue to learn and gain knowledge from the team coach Eric Kumm. Brett Evans said this is his seventh year doing meat competitions; “Every year is just as fun as the next.” Brett also said he is proud to be a part of all the success at meat competitions around the state and has learned so much over the years.