Posted Friday, March 6, 2020
The Townsend Elementary Ag Club took part in the third annual Top Cut Beef Contest, put on by New York Agriculture in the Classroom and the New York Beef Council.
More than 70 schools took part in the contest, which had divisions for elementary, middle, and high schools.
Walton placed third in the elementary category for its “Ag Club Burger – Build it your way.” In December, members of the Ag Club presented and offered the burger to staff after school.
For the contest, groups developed a marketing strategy for a food product of their choice and design. They were also paired with a local beef producer, who helped mentor the students through the process of beef production, or supplied the beef necessary for the project. Through this experience, students were exposed to careers in the beef industry and learned about safe food handling practices.
For an added twist this year, students created recipes that could be sold from a food truck. The students developed their foot truck recipes and tested them with a target audience. The submissions had a wide range. Creativity followed as students filmed commercials, drew logos, and designed websites to market their products.
The entries went before a panel of beef producers and industry experts. Each entry was scored based on the product, the market analysis, the market plan, and the beef nutrition analysis. First place in each division received $250, with second place earning $100, and third place receiving $50. Each also will be presented with a banner.
For a gallery of photos from the December presentation of the hamburgers, as well as the group after finding out their placing, please see below.
