Want to be a Foods Judge? – Training Available Via Zoom
Like many Extension programs, the in-person 4-H Food Judging workshops have canceled due to stay-at-home orders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. However, the promise of county fairs still looms on the horizon, and the need to secure trained and knowledgeable judges remains ever-present. Some Extension units rely on this Food Judging workshop to teach and recruit potential judges. For this reason, a team of KSRE professionals collaborated to transition this workshop into a virtual Zoom training series.
The topics for each session are:
Intro to 4-H Judging
Being a 4-H Foods Judge is a fun and rewarding experience, and it’s a perfect opportunity for anyone that has a passion for food and a desire to foster this passion in others, especially youth. This introductory session will cover how the 4-H Fair system works, what to expect as a judge, the review suggested tools for successful judging, and how to award ribbons. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLg1tQw06o&feature=youtu.be)
How to Judge Food: The Basics
As a foods judge, it’s important to know basic food science principles, nutrition knowledge, sensory qualities of optimum baking, and which factors achieve success and failure in cooking. This session will review these topics and demonstrate strategies for effective conferencing with youth. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9aEi_lW-rw)
How to Judge Food: Food Preservation
Food preservation is all about food science and food safety, and judging this event is often an opportunity to teach about safe food preservation methods. This session will review and explain the science behind those methods, show what is expected of food preservation entries, and offer best practices on how to judge this category. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98Cld2ul9do&feature=youtu.be)
All are encouraged to share this opportunity with County Fair Foods Superintendents, Foods Project Leaders, Past Judges and others who you know might be interested in judging foods. If, after viewing the recordings, you’re interested in becoming a foods judge for our county fair, please let me know!