People are often told not to judge, which in one sense is good advice. On the other hand, good judgment is an essential part of living. Perhaps a better term is critical thinking.
That’s what 4-H Alberta aims to teach kids through its judging program, including its recent livestock and crop judging competition.
“We always teach our kids if you go to the grocery store and you’re going to get a bag of apples, you’re judging. You’re picking the ones that look like they’re going to last the longest, they don’t have any bruises and they’re the most cost-effective for your budget,” said Susann Stone, chief programs delivery officer with 4-H Alberta.
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Learning this skill in one’s youth can help people for the rest of their lives, she said.
“Going to buy a new vehicle can be super nerve-wracking for some people. They can get intimidated by sales tactics. This program definitely helps fill that void by building confidence. If we can start with our youth and make sure they have the confidence to think critically and evaluate their decisions, I think that will help them in the long run.”
The 4-H Alberta Provincial Judging Competition was held March 11 at Lakeland College in Vermilion in conjunction with the 33rd annual Canadian Western Judging Competition. It was open to junior, intermediate and senior 4-H competitors.
What qualities do young judges look for in the livestock and crop classes they’re judging?
“It really depends on the class. It depends on if it’s a breeding animal class or a class that’s for food consumption, for example,” Stone said in an interview before the event.
The competition organizers do their best to keep the judges on their toes.
“We like to help prepare them by saying there will be a beef class, but it might be a class of beef bulls, it might be a heifer class or it might be a market steer class.
“They should be fairly familiar with different species and things to look for. That’s the work that our clubs do at a local level by doing workshops and hands-on learning.”
There are also “mystery classes” to up the ante.
“They might even judge a dog class. They won’t know until they get there.”
Last year, Quinten Albrecht ranked among the top eight senior members at the provincial judging competition, winning a spot in the Canadian National 4-H and Youth Judging Competition at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.
