FCS Youth Fair
Kristina Johnson
As the season for the 67th annual Angelina County Youth Fair comes to a close, dozens of Hudson High School students walk away with ribbons, new friends, and even cash prizes in the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Division. This portion of the Youth Fair was held at the George H. Henderson Jr. Expo Center on February 23rd through 24th, but for most contestants, the preparation for the contest starts long before then.
Judges for the FCS Division include school teachers, counselors, caterers, daycare directors, principals/superintendents, business owners, and community leaders form Angelina County. Contestants are sorted by age into one of three categories: Pre-Juniors (3rd-6th grade), Juniors (7th-9th grade) and Seniors (10th-11th grade). According to Pre-Junior, Junior, and Senior Bar Cookie judge Kathi Johnson, the judges were told “to look for taste, presentation, nutritional knowledge, and interview skills.” These four factors combine to give participants scores ranging from 0 to 100; those with scores from 90-100 receive blue ribbons, those with score from 80-89 receive red ribbons, those with scores from 70-79 receive white ribbons, and those with scores 69 and below receive green participation ribbons. Also, from each category a “Best of Show” award winner is selected. This contestant will bake his or her entry again and sell it in the Angelina County Youth Fair Auction (held on February 27th).
“It was a real privilege to be a judge at the Youth Fair,” says Johnson, “I was very impressed with the desserts and the kid’s knowledge of cooking and nutrition. Also, I learned several cooking tips from the kids.” The desserts that stood out, she says, were the ones that “consisted of several layers and took many hours of preparation.” The interview, however, was just as important as the taste of the item. Judges were instructed to make the students feel at ease, but the contestants were required to know how they made their food entry, the main ingredients, and the nutritional value.
Hudson junior Haley Brazil, who has been participating in the Youth Fair since she was 8 years old, knows first hand how much effort goes into competing. “I always participate in the FCS part of the Youth Fair,” she says. “To prepare, I choose a recipe and practice it many times, then I learn the nutritional information about the recipe and practice my presentation for the judges.” She agrees that the interview is a vital part of the scores and says, “Learning how to speak to judges during an interview has been very valuable to me. It really increased my confidence when I was younger.”
So what drives contestants like Brazil to compete each year? Brazil answers by saying “I look forward to participating each year. I enjoy the competition. It’s such a fun week!” Her favorite part, she adds, is getting to sell in the auction because, “The community really comes out to support all the participants. It’s an exciting night!” On top of that, participating in Youth Fair is a great way for children and teenagers to meet others with similar passions and interests. “I have met a lot of people, including one of my closest friends, through 4H,” says Brazil. Judges are eager to return each year as well, not just because of the great food samples, but also because it is “Lots of fun,” Johnson says.
For those who are not interested in FCS, there are many other divisions in the Youth Fair as well. “I would definitely encourage anyone who’s interested to participate in the Youth Fair,” says Brazil. “There are so many ways to be involved...food, animals, forestry, arts and crafts, photography, agricultural mechanics... There’s something for everyone!”
In the FCS Division, Hudson High School’s winners were:
Quick Bread: Haley Brazil- 2nd place, Kaci McCarty- 3rd place
Yeast Bread: Mary Beth Ratcliff- 2nd place
Pies: Brent Harvey- Best of Show
Bar Cookies: Taylor Brazil- Best of Show (Junior)
Cookies: Amzee Gerard- 2nd place (Junior), Miranda Alsbrooks- Best of Show, Kyleigh Blair- 3rd place
Cheesecakes: Cade Milligan- 2nd place, Austin Woods- 3rd place
Frosted Cakes: Ramsay Campbell- 3rd place
Cakes w/o Glaze: Reed Smith- Best of Show (Junior)
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