The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Harold E. Ford Foundation again sponsored the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. The conference recognizes 4-H members who have excelled in their states in poultry learning experience activities. The activities and contests are designed to introduce participants to poultry and the poultry industry. Life skills are learned through preparation for the various contests. Participants are also made aware of careers in poultry and allied industries. 

The conference hosted more than 142 4-H’ers from 24 states, allowing them to compete in events that help them learn to formulate and defend decisions, speak publicly and expand their poultry-related skills. Opportunities included five separate competitive events: poultry judging, chicken barbecuing, turkey barbecuing, an egg chef challenge and an avian bowl (a game of poultry and egg jeopardy). Poultry and egg industry leaders also participated in a Poultry Careers workshop, exposing the 4-H’ers to valuable information about career and educational opportunities in the poultry and egg industries. 

The team from North Carolina (Tessa Darnell, Connor Howard, Elizabeth Peluso and Matthew Peluso) was named the top team overall, and Minnesota’s Naomi Wiechman was named the top overall individual. Barbara Jenkins, vice president of education and student programs for USPOULTRY and executive director of the USPOULTRY Foundation, presented the awards.

"Through 4-H and the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference, the USPOULTRY Foundation continues its long-standing commitment of supporting student outreach programs to attract bright, young people into poultry careers. The USPOULTRY Foundation has been a proud sponsor of 4-H and the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference for many years. We recognize that these youths are our industry’s future, and our goal is to encourage them to pursue a career in the poultry and egg industries," said Jenkins. 

Source: USPOULTRY Foundation