Written by: Brianna Bobo
Last week, FFA members competed in a Meat and Dairy Judging event at the Harrison County Fairgrounds.
Meat judging is where student’s look at different kinds of meat and judge how it’s cooked (dry or moist), what animal it came from, and where it came from in the animal. The second part of meat judging is where student’s look at a variety of meats and figure out which one is more likely to be cooked, by its fat and fatty veins. Students learn that while you don’t want too much fat, you want just the right amount for flavor. After the judging, students had to take a 30-40 question quiz over the meat industry.
For dairy judging, students looked at milk quality. Students had to distinguish between dairy and non-dairy products, they had to identify different types of cheese based on looks, smell and taste. They also had to identify milk defects such as: garlic, watery, acidic, oxidized, rancid and more. Students had to take a 60-question quiz over milk industry facts.
The contest gave students the opportunity to dig deeper into the milk and meats industry. And to see if they are interested in it and see themselves going into a career with meat or dairy products. It is also a good contest for students to be able to use in life when going to the grocery store and deciding on what meats to pick for their family or information about dairy products.
