by Kate Dau – South O’Brien FFA Reporter
This January, the South O’Brien FFA Meats Judging team of Ethan Schwarz, Austin Negus, John Puhrmann, and Will Stout competed in the Western National contest held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
These members had previously competed at the state contest in August, which was held at the Iowa State University meat lab, where they placed second. Receiving that honor qualified them for the national competition in Colorado.
Senior Ethan Schwarz commented on the trip, saying, “The trip to Colorado was amazing. I think it’s the best experience our FFA chapter offers.” He also stated, “We got to experience a lot of things while in Colorado, including the world’s largest train yard in North Platte, the stock show in Denver, touring the Rocky Mountains, and even trying Rocky Mountain oysters! I felt like I got the full Colorado experience.”
Ethan was the highest-scoring individual from our chapter, placing 19th, and the team finished 10th.
Team alternate Jasper Johnson also commented on the trip, saying, “Mr. Kumm made the trip very enjoyable. I hope to go back to Colorado again!”
South O’Brien FFA chapter advisor, Eric Kumm, added, “We go to compete, but I also strive to make this an educational experience by touring places like the 5 Rivers Feedlot in Kersey, CO, which feeds up to 98,000 head of cattle.” He added “I’m extremely proud of our Meats Evaluation Team for their hard work and dedication. While the final placing may not fully reflect it, their improvement at this high level of competition was impressive.”
The top five teams at the competition were Minnesota, Texas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Kansas.