DeKalb County 4-H members Kris Barrett, Kayla Belk, Clayton Crook, and Wyatt Martin are headed to the state competition after a very successful day at the Central Region 4-H Outdoor Meat Cookery contest, held each year at the Wilson County Fair in Lebanon. 
Also participating individually were Hailey Bogle and Lily Martin. The team placed third overall and will be representing DeKalb County and the central region at the state contest in Knoxville in October. 4-H’ers in grades 7-12 can participate in this fun and practical contest that not only teaches them how to grill, but how to do it safely.
 Each contestant must start his or her own charcoal grill, prepare the meat, and cook it to perfection.  On a four-person team, each member is responsible for grilling a different species of meat: beef, poultry, lamb, and pork. They are judged throughout the cooking process to make sure they start their fires properly, prepare the meat safely, and cook it to the correct temperature. The meat itself is then judged on taste, texture, appearance, and originality of recipe. 
At the regional contest, Kris Barrett was third in lamb, Clayton Crook placed third with chicken wings, Wyatt Martin sixth in pork, Kayla Belk placed seventh in the beef category, while the team placed third overall in the senior-high division. Hailey Bogle also placed third in junior-high division pork with her baby back ribs. 
There were 15 total counties present at the contest. Congratulations on representing DeKalb County so well. The 4-H members would also like to say thank you to Smithville Food Lion for helping to supply quality meat for the contest. If you are interested in participating in this contest next year, or any other activities, please contact the 4-H office at 615-597-4945.