The Ohio State University Meat Judging Team is an educational and competitive, extracurricular activity that competes on a nationwide basis. The meat judging program complements student education in agriculture through teaching how the final end product is evaluated, fabricated and marketed. Furthermore, meats team members are exposed first hand to numerous segments of the livestock and meats industry across the U.S. Team members gain skills in observation, logical thinking, and communication.
Collegiate Meats contests consist of several competition categories. Judgers place ten classes of beef, lamb and pork carcasses; and a wholesale cuts class placed according to the trimness, muscling and quality of the cut. There are also classes on retail meat cut identification for beef and lamb, yield grading of beef carcasses, and oral reasons.
Students interested in becoming a member of the Meat Judging Team need to enroll in ANSC 305, Meat Animal and Carcass Evaluation to learn about the factors that influence the value of meat animals, carcasses, and wholesale cuts in accordance with recognized grading standards. Upon completion of the class, any student wishing to become a member of the team simply attends practices and contests during the following Autumn quarter.
The Ohio State University has had an intercollegiate Meat Judging Team since 1928. The current team competes at six contests annually, beginning with the Southeastern in Louisville, Kentucky and concluding with the International Meat Judging Contest in Dakota City, Nebraska in November. OSU teams won the National Contest in 1932 and 1947.