A Successful Youth Beef Exhibitor Program: Reviewing History, Industry Milestones, Education, and 35 Years of Carcass Excellence
ISSN 2158-9429
Volume 9, Issue 1 - June 2016
Editor: Linda Chalker-Scott
Abstract
The Benton Franklin Fair in Kennewick, WA has held a youth Steer of Merit (SOM) carcass contest since 1979. Our objective was to review the SOM program and its impact on educating youth beef exhibitors. From 1979-2013, 1,753 youth-exhibited market steers were evaluated. To receive awards and other prizes, the exhibitors were required to attend the educational programs. Historical industry data were used for comparisons. Results indicate that hot carcass weight (HCW), USDA Quality Grade (QG), and USDA Yield Grade (YG) followed industry standards, but ribeye area (REA) decreased slightly. In conclusion, the Benton Franklin Fair SOM program has been an effective program in educating youth beef producers in production of superior beef animals.
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