It may look like a contest, by the Arkansas Beef Quiz Bowl does more than just send teams home with a trophy. Competitors earn preparation for a career.
“The Arkansas Beef Quiz Bowl is a valuable experience for Arkansas youth who have an interest in the beef industry,” said Chelsey Ahrens, extension youth livestock specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“While studying for the contest, they learn about various aspects of the industry from forage recommendations, to food safety, to Beef Quality Assurance,” she said. “Their knowledge is put to the test in a fun team activity all while acquiring knowledge they can utilize on their own beef cattle operation.”
The 2018 contest, held recently at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center on the University of Arkansas campus, drew 30 teams with 120 students from across the state. With the competitors was a cadre of parents, county agents and teachers, all taking up spots in the stands and humming with anticipation. The quiz bowl is fiercely contested and is formatted as a double elimination tournament.
This year, 4-H teams from Greene and Washington counties finished first and second, while Fayetteville FFA took third.
The event was hosted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Animal Science Department. Instructor Bryan Kutz said that in addition to sharpening the students’ knowledge of beef cattle, they demonstrate “improved communication, goal setting, critical thinking and team building skills and ultimately enhanced their interest in beef cattle.”
Kutz said the students are “tested on many levels of question difficulty. The questions were compiled by our Animal Science faculty and covered all aspects of beef production.”
The Beef Quiz Bowl is funded by the Arkansas Beef Council through revenue collected from the Beef Check-Off. Educational material was provided for county extension agents and vocational agriculture instructors to further the learning beyond that of the students’ beef 4-H and FFA projects.
For more information about 4-H and livestock, contact your county extension office or visit www.uaex.edu.
