Local 4-H members among top teams in ISU Extension Skillathon events at Iowa State Fair
Junior Dairy Skillathon top finishers ... Among the top finishers in the Iowa State University Extension Junior Dairy Skillathon at the Iowa State Fair were a pair of Allamakee County teams. Pictured above among the top five teams in that competition is the first-place team of Sophia Palmer and Norah Palmer, as well as the second-place team of Landon Guese and Kiele Eberling. Also competing in the Senior Dairy Skillathon but not pictured is Ethan Palmer, who teamed up with Natalie Hamlett of Fayette County to finish third in that competition. Submitted photo.
Swine Skillathon top finishers ... Among the top finishers in the Iowa State University Extension Swine Skillathon at the Iowa State Fair were a pair of Allamakee County teams. Pictured above among the top 10 teams in that competition is the third-place team of Wyatt Baxter and Trudy Baxter, who teamed up with Nolan Gaul of Clayton County, as well as the 10th-place team of Marcus Gebel and Alaina Gebel, who teamed up with Brady Lensing of Chickasaw County. Submitted photo.
This year, 247 youth from 49 Iowa counties participated in Iowa State University Extension and Outreach skillathons for dairy, meat goat, sheep and swine at the Iowa State Fair, which was held in mid-August in Des Moines. The dairy skillathon was August 9, swine and sheep skillathons took place August 13 and a goat skillathon was August 16.
Each skillathon team was comprised of no more than three individuals and the competition included five stations where youth worked together to solve problems and identify dairy, goat, swine or sheep production components. Participants identified feed samples, breeds and meat cuts while answering questions about genetics, nutrients, quality assurance, handling and welfare.
Amy Powell, animal science agriculture and natural resources specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, developed and coordinated the events. “One of the main goals of the skillathon is to teach youth life skills like decision making, critical thinking and communication as well as animal husbandry and the science and math involved with raising an animal,” Powell said.
All participants received a t-shirt and the top five teams were recognized in dairy, goat and sheep. The top 10 teams were recognized for swine. Awards for the swine skillathon were sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The sheep and goat skillathons were sponsored by Premier 1 Supplies, and the Iowa 4-H Foundation Dairy Endowment sponsored the dairy skillathon.
“We offer special thanks to the 54 volunteers from the ISU Department of Animal Science, Iowa Pork Producers and 4-H who served as station facilitators,” said Celine Beggs-Shoemaker, Iowa State Fair livestock superintendent and 4-H animal science specialist.
Among this year’s skillathon winners were a number of Allamakee County 4-H youth. The team of Sophia Palmer and Norah Palmer took first in the Junior Dairy Skillathon, and the team of Landon Guese and Kiele Eberling finished second in that competition. In the Senior Dairy Skillathon, Ethan Palmer teamed up with Natalie Hamlett of Fayette County to finish third.
In the Swine Skillathon, Wyatt Baxter and Trudy Baxter teamed up with Nolan Gaul of Clayton County to finish in third place. Marcus Gebel and Alaina Gebel also teamed up with Brady Lensing of Chickasaw County to finish 10th.
