August 11, 2008
For More Information, contact
Diane Slater, (573) 445-8375
Missouri Students Participate in
Swine Skillathon
Winners Announced at 2008 Missouri State Fair
Columbia, Mo.,—On Thursday, August 7, FFA and 4-H members participated in the 2008 Youth Swine Skillathon at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. Participants compete in three age brackets during the contest, which is sponsored by the Missouri Pork Association and the University of Missouri Extension.
In the Age 12 and Under division, first place went to Mitchell Sutter from Taylor. Second place went to Julie Crouch from Lincoln, and Bethany Bloss from La Russell received third.
In the Age 13-15 division, Miriam Martin from Bucklin received first, Rusty Johnson from Deerfield received second, and third went to John Paul Littlefield from Diamond.
In the Age 16 and Older division, Jenilee Martin from Jasper received first. Second place went to Eric Allen from Marceline, and third went to Clayton Hawkins from Bethel.
The top three winners in each category received a cash award, and the top individual in each category also received a plaque.
The first part of the three-stage contest is a hands-on swine management test including breed identification, equipment identification, ear notching, feed medication withdrawal, calculation growth performance, pork carcass cuts, meat quality evaluation, environmental issues and feed ingredient identification. The second section is a short quiz that covers current events and general information about the swine industry in Missouri, the United States, and internationally. The final stage is a 5 minute personal interview with a State Extension Specialist about their swine project and the Youth Pork Quality Assurance Plus Program.
The Missouri Pork Association represents the state’s pork producers in the areas of promotion, research, education and legislation. For more information about this or any other programs of the Missouri Pork Association, go to www.mopork.com, or call the Missouri Pork Association office at (573) 445-8375.
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