Find your passion and polish your skills for a future career when you join in a competitive team at CFAES. Click on each team name to visit their page for more information.
Experience dairy cattle judging in contests across America. As part of the judging team, you'll place various ages and breeds of cattle as well as present oral reasons for the placement to competition officials. Build on your experiences from 4-H or FFA or bring an interest in learning more. Members commit to spending time at practices, workouts on host farms, and the Maryland State Fair over Labor Day weekend. Read more. Skill building: public speaking, reasoning, decision making, observation Coach: Bonnie Ayers |
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Learn how to evaluate management practices on dairy farms and interact with representatives from the dairy industry. This annual competition, held in October or November, groups students into teams of 3-4 to review all aspects of the dairy operation. Your team will prepare and present a 20-minute review — addressing the strengths and opportunities for the producer — to a panel of judges from universities and the industry. Winning teams go on to regional and national competitions. Skill building: time management, teamwork, logic, reasoning, problem solving Coach: Maurice Eastridge |
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Livestock Judging Team Get ready to excel in livestock judging and academics. You'll join an exceptional team with a record of winning. Juniors from any major who have completed the prerequisite courses are welcome to join the team. You'll practice analyzing animals against commonly accepted ideal standards for each breed. Learn how to develop reasons for each score and how to defend your choices. Build confidence as you interact with industry leaders and livestock producers. Check out Facebook for team updates. Skill building: critical thinking, analyzing, memorization, communication, networking Coach: Matthew Chaney |
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Ohio State ATI Dairy Cattle Judging Team Compete with the best and evaluate dairy cattle at a competitive level. You'll experience major national contests such as World Dairy Expo, the North American International Livestock Exposition, and the Pennsylvania All-American Dairy Show, where team members analyze cattle based on conformation and provide oral reasons to defend their rankings. Open to students from any major, the team practices throughout the year to prepare for fall competitions. With a strong tradition of excellence, the Dairy Cattle Judging Team consistently ranks among the top teams in the nation. Skill building: decision making, communication, memorization, reasoning Coach: Royce Thornton |
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Ohio State ATI Livestock Judging Team Join an exciting new program with high standards. Excel in livestock judging and academics as you develop critical skills for your future. You'll learn how to evaluate four species of animals, rank them according to livestock goals, and share your reasoning clearly. Members practice judging on area farms and apply new knowledge at national competitions. Sophomores and freshman with all levels of judging experience are encouraged to join. Follow the team on Facebook. Read more about Coach Ebert and the team. Skill building: teamwork, decision making, public speaking, critical thinking, character Coach: Seth Ebert |
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Meat Judging Team Get first-hand experience with the meat processing industry across America. You'll see how meat products are evaluated, fabricated, and marketed. After completing the prerequisite course, you'll understand the factors that impact market value of meat animals, carcasses, and wholesale cuts. Compete in six annual competitions nationwide and apply your judging skills to grade against established standards for each breed and cut. Skill building: observation, logical thinking, communication, public speaking Coach: Lyda Garcia |
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Take your college experience to the next level with poultry judging. Sharpen your decision-making skills while learning how to assess poultry for defined characteristics, quality grade poultry products, and develop confidence in your decisions. You'll gain knowledge that directly connects to real-world agricultural challenges and opportunities in poultry production and processing. Through practices and competitions, you'll learn to present insights with clarity and confidence while traveling across the United States and networking with students and faculty from other universities. Get practical hands-on learning to kickstart your future career in the poultry industry. Skill building: analyzing, decision making, confidence, networking Coach: Michael Cressman |
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Are you ready to battle weeds in the real world? Test your knowledge through competitive judging. Meetings start after spring break, with one contest in the summer. The regional competition involves multiple parts starting with identifying up to 150 weed species. You'll ID herbicides based on various controls. Team members work together in the field to quickly pick the correct spray setup, assemble a backpack sprayer, and apply at the correct speed and height. Best part? Helping producers solve real weed problems. Join today and you could be on your way to the Weed Olympics! Skill building: problem solving, spray calibration, identification, communication Coach: Bruce Ackley |
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