Four Keokuk County 4-H Youth members competed at the 2025 Iowa Pork Youth Judging Contest this month.

The team, consisting of 4-H Youth members Sawyer Cason, Madison Fry, Nora Bayliss and Jack Bayliss, finished 14th out of 51 teams. Jack Bayliss did particularly well, finishing 11th individually out of 198 participants. Over the course of the competition, youth learned about pork production from start to finish. Participants observed a carcass fabrication demonstration sponsored by Smithfield Foods, evaluated live hogs for market and breeding qualities, and tested their knowledge of Iowa’s pork industry, meat quality, and production practices.

Ashley Yedlik, Keokuk County Youth Coordinator, says “This contest gives youth the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in 4-H to real-world agriculture. We’re proud of the way they represented Keokuk County.”

The Iowa Pork Producers Association hosts the contest yearly to help youth build skills such as animal evaluation, decision making, and communication, while teaching an understanding of the pork industry.