Emanuel County participate at the State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest

The senior/junior team from Emanuel County participated in the Georgia 4-H State Livestock Judging contest on March 22 at the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center in Covington. The team consisted of Nathaniel Harry, Calvin Singletary, and Addi Rae Robertson.

Livestock Judging contestants analyze classes of breeding and market cattle, lambs, and goats as they use critical thinking skills to identify ideal animals. Contestants prepare by learning industry standards for each breed and gain knowledge through research, training sessions, group activities, and hands-on experiences. Problem solving, decision making, and public speaking are other key elements of livestock judging.

The state event incorporates both individual and team competitions. Six junior teams and five senior teams participated in the contest with 75 total participants. Junior teams are made up of youth in 4th grade to 8th grade and senior teams are 9th through 12th grade 4-H’ers.

The 2025 Georgia Ag Impact Report, produced by UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, highlights the Georgia Farm Gate value at $17.6 billion. Livestock production is a major contributor to Farm Gate Value and Georgia’s overall economy. UGA Faculty and industry experts contribute to the curriculum used to train 4-H livestock judgers and help connect youth with pertinent applications of the skills they learn.

“Livestock judging offers much more to students than simply ranking high-quality animals,” said Carole Knight, UGA Cooperative Extension specialist for 4-H livestock programs. “It is exciting to connect this important industry to real-life decision-making skills for youth from all backgrounds.”

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the premier youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches hundreds of thousands of people annually through UGA Extension offices and 4-H facilities.

For more information about how to get involved with Livestock Judging and Georgia 4-H, contact your local University of Georgia County Extension Office or visit www.georgia4h.org.