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Lamar County 4-H members compete in the main dish category at the District IV Foods Contest, held Thursday, Nov. 2 at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. Staff Photo by Faith Huffman
| 4-H Competition
More than 250 youth from 22 different counties around Northeast Texas made the trip to Hopkins County Regional Civic Center to participate in the District IV 4-H Foods Contests, the largest contest hosted by the district.
Scheduled were three heats, one for each of the three 4-H competition age groups — junior, intermediate and senior — to participate in a 'Chopped' style contest. 4-H members may participate in the contest beginnign in beginning with third graders up through seniors in high school, with the age divisions for elementary, junior high or middle school and high school. Senior division contestants who win at the district level qualify then to advance to the state 4-H Round Up in June.
For some students, Thursday was their first district contests, for others, especially the older 4-H members, the contest is an annual event. Senior division level comeptitors often are very skilled and inventive with their creative concoctions. Some even participated along with FFA memers at the State Fair of Texas last month.
Cook teams were given one main ingredient and a 'ticket' with a price limit of supplies for the food pantry and challenged to creatively come up with a food in their food course type — main dish, healthy dessert, side dish, healthy appetizer, within a 45 minute time frame from start to finish. The key ingredient was concealed in a paper bag until the contest began, and ranged from a sweet potato to tuna or a burger patty.
Once completed, each students' food item was submitted for judging based on a number of factors, including dietary value, MyPlate and nutritional value, use of food safety practices. Each group is judged on how well they worked as a team, and also answer questions from judges, such as what they might have substituted to make a healthier dessert or dish.
A panel of judges also walked around during the contest, guaging how well the teams were acting together as well as following food safety protocols.
Each team had its own now, aprons, t-shirts and chefs' hats or hair nets. Some used gloves.
Project results varied, were all creative and not all won their division, the event was beneficial to all 4-H members who participated.