The nation’s best young judges of poultry this year came from Hughson High School – experts on what makes a good egg or turkey breast or chicken patty.
The four-person team placed first among 38 at the national convention of Future Farmers of America, held last month in Louisville, Kentucky. Three of them – senior Kristen Voss and juniors Mark Borges and Madelyn Vaca – talked Wednesday with The Modesto Bee about the experience. The fourth, Zach Rose, graduated in the spring but stayed with the team while starting poultry-science studies at the University of Arkansas. The contestants were scored in part on how well they noted details in live poultry and fresh carcasses, such as the expected yield of meat and any parts that were discolored. They looked at eggs to see if the shells were stained or “decidedly misshapen,” as the manual puts it. They examined frozen, breaded chicken for “coating voids” and other defects. Read More
