4-H Judging Teams

​Consumer Decision

Making Consumer Decision Making trains young people in decision making skills related to purchasing decisions. The contest teaches how to observe, compare and make decisions based on facts collected. It also provides experience in organizing thoughts and defending decisions with oral reasons. Team members learn to rank articles or products over others based on standards and quality. At the regional and state competitions, participants will apply skills and knowledge in Family and Consumer Sciences subject matter by visiting a series of activity centers and completing knowledge, skill or application activities at each center. The centers consist of both competitive (individual) and scored cooperative (team) activities.

Lifeskills Judging

A program for junior high youth enrolled in 4-H. The LifeSkills regional judging activity consists of centers that incorporate various subjects in Family and Consumer Sciences.

Dairy Judging

Dairy judging is open to youth in the 4th – 12th grades.  Dairy judging trains young people in decision-making skills related to the dairy industry. Participants will be asked to judge five to six classes of dairy cows and/or dairy heifers.

Dairy Products Judging

Dairy products judging trains young people in decision making skills related to milk and milk products. Members will learn how to evaluate the quality of dairy products and how to identify the difference between dairy products and non-dairy products by evaluating flavors and textures of milk, cheese and ice cream.

Land Judging

Land judging trains youth in decision-making skills related to soil and water conservation. Such as determining the physical characteristics of the soil, how to predict the limitations of this soil and expected crop yields, and how this soil will affect the quality of ground and surface wate.

Wildlife Judging

Wildlife Judging trains young people in decision making skills related wildlife management. Team members learn how to determine wildlife management practices needed for a given situation, match the different habitats used by each species of wildlife, and how to match foods to the different species of wildlife which eat them.

Forestry Judging

A team consists of three or four 4-H members. Each member will work independently and the top three scores will be combined to make up the team’s score. Forestry judging trains young people in decision-making skills related to forestry and forest management. 4-H’ers will learn how to identify native species of trees by their twig, fruit and wood, how to identify insects and diseases found in trees of the Tennessee Forest, how to use a compass and basic geometric concepts, and also how to measure trees and evaluate timber.

Livestock Judging

Livestock judging trains youth in decision-making skills related to the evaluation of meat animals. You will learn how to use performance data to assist in evaluation and selection of livestock, how to evaluate the conformation of different breeds of beef cattle, sheep, market goats and swine, as well as how to defend your placings by giving oral reasons.