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Wisconsin 4-H Meats Contest

The team from Grant County won the Wisconsin State 4-H Meats Contest. Team members pictured above (L to R); L to R: Mathew Walz, Ben Connolly, Dillin Meier, Cody Adams.  They are coached by Dennis Patterson.  The team will now represent Wisconsin at the National 4-H Meats Judging Contest in Kansas City this fall.  The team from Jefferson County took second place.

Top 10 individuals in the senior division were: Zach Mickelson, Columbia County; Dillin Meier, Grant: Natalie Siedschlag, Dodge: Taylor Chwala, Jefferson; Sterling Kleist, Richland; Libby Knoebel, Jefferson; Sam Nehls, Dodge: Nathan Utecht, Marathon; Paige Gaffney, Iowa; Ben Connolly, Grant.

Marathon County won the junior division. Team members pictured above (L to R): Stephanie, Witberler, Kailen Smerchek, Courtney Zimmerman and Mae Sann.  Mark Zimmerman was the coach.  Columbia County took second.

Top 10 individuals in the junior division: Justin Taylor, Columbia County; Stephanie Witberler, Marathon; Kailen Smerchek, Marathon: Riley Kappell, Dodge; Cora Kleist, Richland; Danielle Chwala, Jefferson; Jessica Patterson, Grant; Samantha Rake, Columbia; McKenna Muckler, Richland; Morgan Vondra, Iowa.

The State 4-H Meats Judging Contest consists of evaluating and ranking classes of hams, beef, pork and lamb carcasses and two retail-cut classes. Contestants also identified 30 retails cuts of beef, pork or lamb and ten cuts of processed meat products, quality an yield graded five beef carcasses and completed a ten-question meat label reading exercise.

The contest was conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Meat Laboratory.