4-H’ers compete at district food show

By Sandy Morris

Seven local 4-H members competed at the District 7 Food Show on Thursday, Nov. 19 in the Big Country Hall located at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene. 

In the junior division, Gage Burton competed in side dish and earned third place, and Carly Kreitler competed in main dish, earning fifth place honors.

Artie Bell and Luke Smith also participated in the junior division. 

In the intermediate division, Landon Kreitler competed in side dish, placing fourth. Ellis Hise was sixth in main dish.

Juniors and intermediates are not eligible to advance beyond the district meet.

In the senior division, Leddie Leech competed in the appetizer division, and Johnnie Hise competed in the dessert category.

Hise earned fourth place honors, which will not allow her to advance to state, as only first place senior contestants qualify for the State Food Show.

“I’m so proud of these kids for stepping up and competing,” said 4-H sponsor and Shackelford County Extension Agent Kloey Painter. “They did a great job.”

The exhibitors are judged on their know-ledge of how the dish is prepared, the main nutrients in their dish, and food safety techniques they implemented while preparing their dish.

They are also judged on their knowledge of MyPlate and how their dish fits into MyPlate, which is an initiative to help consumers make better food choices. 

Senior exhibitors (those currently in high school) are also expected to give a five-minute presentation about their entry, including why they chose the dish and how it relates to the theme selected for all competitions. 

The theme this year was “Grocery Games,” and all exhibitors had to make their dish for less than $10.