The Harrison County Four-Hers put collectively a win final Saturday on the county Four-H Meals Problem and now head to the district contest.
Advancing from the “Meal Masters” junior workforce had been Abigail Knox, Addyson Thelen, Nate Cook dinner and Arabella Cook dinner. Advancing from the “Tasteful Desk” center workforce had been Braeden Thelen, Johnathan Knox, Jacob Lamb, and Eden Cook dinner.
“We had 4 junior contestants, which was a workforce, and so they had been the Meal Masters, after which we had 4 intermediates and so they had been Tasteful Desk,” mentioned Louraiseal McDonald, county extension agent.
Contributors on each groups had been members of the Four-H Homeschool Membership. The competitors was open to all Four-H college students in grades three by way of twelve. The youth division is open to grades three by way of 5; intermediate applies to grades six by way of eight; and the senior division is for grades 9-12. Those that superior from final Saturday’s county competitors will compete within the District 5 Four-H Meals Problem Workforce Contest on February 24 on the Heart.
In accordance with the competition guidelines, the District 5 Four-H Meals Problem contest is designed to problem collaborating groups to create a dish utilizing just one key ingredient and entry a “grocery retailer” of different components. From designated components, workforce members are instructed to create a wholesome dish whereas training correct meals security, meals preparation, and communication expertise.
Final Saturday’s competitors on the county stage was held in a similar way.
“The way in which the competition works, they’re given a key ingredient,” McDonald defined. “So on Saturday I gave eggs to each groups. I gave them 4 eggs, after which they needed to go to the meals pantry (“grocery retailer”), and so they had to purchase extra gadgets to make their dish. However they determine, as a workforce, what they’re going to do”.
Utilizing $10 of the monopoly cash, the groups got sure gadgets to buy, together with onions, peppers, salsa, cheese, mushrooms, salsa, rice, and water.
“All they’d was $10 to spend,” McDonald mentioned. “Now they did not have to purchase all of the components within the retailer, but it surely was as much as them to determine what to purchase.”
As soon as the provides had been bought, the groups returned to their designated cooking stations to organize their dish and current it to the judges.
“They’ve an inventory of provide containers, and with this checklist they determine if they’re going to use a blender, a sizzling plate or a small skillet to organize their dish,” McDonald mentioned.
The groups had been allotted 40 minutes to organize their dish and provides it a reputation earlier than exhibiting it to the judges.
“After they’ve ready their dish, they’ve to wash up their space and provides a five-minute presentation,” McDonald mentioned. “Within the presentation they speak about meals security, and the dietary worth of the components of the dish, what number of servings the dishes make and that is it. In addition they have to inform the decide how a lot they spent on the retailer.”
The competition is extra than simply inventing a dish. Objectives embrace cash administration, observing private hygiene (hair, nails, jewellery) whereas cooking, data of dietary tips, My Plate, vitamin, meals security, and meals dealing with expertise, to call Some. Contributors additionally discover ways to use efficient communication amongst workforce members.
“These are all completely different targets for that contest,” McDonald mentioned.
“They study loads. They find out about vitamin, they find out about parts, they find out about completely different vitamins, they find out about My Plate, meals security, cooking, cooling, separating and knife security,” she mentioned. “After which they study to talk in public as a result of one factor is, though you are on the workforce, each individual on the workforce has to say one thing each time they seem in entrance of the decide.”
The groups had been judged on their preparation and presentation expertise. The volunteers had been impressed with the data of the scholars and the way properly they labored collectively as a workforce.
“I had some volunteers who’ve been judging the contests for some time. They mentioned they really feel like these two teams actually labored properly collectively,” McDonald mentioned. “They had been actually in sync. You might inform who was the group chief of every workforce, and the chief was not demanding or controlling. He was actually good. It was lots of enjoyable, and I believe these children will do properly.
“Their mother and the membership supervisor have been working loads with the youngsters and ensuring they know their data like My Plate, nutrient worth, meals security expertise…these are issues they’ve to check forward of time” mentioned the county extension agent.
One of many greatest challenges the contributors had been in a position to overcome was making the meals interesting.
“With this contest as properly, like our different meals contest, the judges aren’t allowed to style the meals, but it surely’s very visually interesting, in order that’s one factor I inform children is, as folks, we eat with the eyes for each time you put together meals, you all the time need it to look good,” McDonald mentioned.
McDonald mentioned what he discovered most intriguing was the distinctive method the contestants used the rice for the competition.
“What I discover fascinating is that each teams used rice,” he mentioned. “Rice is an non-compulsory factor which you can have in your provide package. However they each cooked their rice. One in all them had a mould, and the opposite had a volcano (created within the middle).”
“Nevertheless it all the time amazes me that on the county or district stage, you may give a bunch of children an entrée and you’ve got 20 completely different teams and also you get 20 completely different concepts,” he mentioned.
Rookie decide Mechele McBride shared how shocked she was with the competitors.
“It was lots of enjoyable, having the ability to see them work collectively and having the ability to put them collectively after which take heed to their presentation, and go, ‘Wow,’” he mentioned.