Upcoming Ag Judging Opportunities for Fall 2023

Now that the weather finally cooling down, it is fair season in the Florida panhandle! Fairs aren’t just about rides and food but also about participating in showing livestock, entering exhibits, and competing in judging contests. There are so many opportunities at fairs for 4-H youth to participate in and gain knowledge from. Agricultural judging contests are great for youth who are interested in learning about agriculture. There is a statewide virtual agricultural judging contest and an agricultural judging contest at the North Florida Fair.

This year we will be hosting the 4^th Annual Florida 4-H Virtual Ag Judging Contest. It will take place on October 26^th at 6:00 pm EST on Zoom and it is free! There will be training before the contest to allow 4-H youth an opportunity to learn about each topic before participating in the contest. The training will be held on October 24^th at 6:00 pm EST on Zoom. This contest is great for 4-H youth to learn how to judge bulls, dairy cows, poultry, goats, swine, hay, grain, peanuts, and tomatoes. There will also be questions on tool identification, weed identification, and soil samples. To participate in this contest youth must be 4-H age 8-18 and will need to register in 4-H Online. If you have any questions about this event, please email Evie Hunter (evie.hunter@ufl.edu) or Chris Decubellis (cdecube@ufl.edu). We had so much fun creating this contest virtually and are super excited for youth all over the state to participate! This is our 4^th year doing this contest and we are happy to see it grow!

The North Florida Fair Ag Judging Contest will take place on November 11^th at the fairgrounds in Tallahassee, Florida. This contest will cover judging steers, heifers, eggs, hay, and grains. This contest is for youth 4-H ages 8-18 who are interested in learning how to judge agriculture. To participate in this contest youth must register in 4-H Online and contact your 4-H Agent to sign up. If you have any questions about this event, please email Robbie Jones r.jones1@ufl.edu or Evie Hunter (evie.hunter@ufl.edu).

Both contests are great for youth to learn about how to judge each topic. It is very important to know how to tell if you are feeding your animals good hay and grains to make sure your animals stay healthy. It is also important to learn about the structure and what to look for in each livestock animal. Both contests are fun to participate in and learn about the importance of ag judging. I look forward to seeing both contests grow, and more youth learn about the importance of agriculture.

For livestock judging study materials, check out these links:

Livestock Judging Guide (Kansas)

Livestock Judging Explore Guide (Texas)

Livestock Judging EDIS Factsheet (Florida)

Or, check out our video on judging contest basics!