Winners Selected in Beef Marketing Competition

Contact: Rusty Gibbs, Director of Industry Relations, Iowa Beef Industry Council, 515-296-2305

The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation has recognized student winners in a cross-curricular program for elementary, middle, and high school students. The experiential learning contest allowed students to creatively develop a marketing strategy for a beef product of their choice, while learning about the multitude of agricultural careers and skills it takes to develop and sell a product.

Students in grades 3 through 12 were eligible to participate. Students learned about the beef production industry and beef nutrition as a result of participation. Winners are as follows:

• 1st Prize: Gilmore City-Bradgate Elementary School taught by Kelsey Wigans. The student team of Graclyn Eastman, Avery Weydert, Lily Hoover, and Kaylee King submitted a poster promoting flank steaks.
• 2nd Prize: Gilmore City-Bradgate Elementary School taught by Kelsey Wigans. The student team of Olivia Dickey, Jayden Marchant, Braxton Osorio, Grady Goddard, and Weston Nielsen created a poster promoting a nutritionally balanced brisket.
• 3rd Prize: Des Moines Christian School taught by Rhonda Osborn. The student team of Hailey, Lucy, Elizabeth, and Sienna created a poster explaining the nutrition of beef.

Middle School Division:

• 1st Prize: Waverly-Shell Rock taught by Kristie Kuhse. The student team of Carson Reznicek, Brody Mundt, Derek Bienemann, and Shay Doyle created a marketing plan to sell a crab and noodle stuffed filet.
  
• 2nd Prize: Chariton Middle School taught by Stephanie Lukavsky. The class created a marketing plan to sell a fun meal or snack they called beef batons.
  
• 3rd Prize: Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School taught by Kristie Kuhse. The student team of Jordan, Sam, and Alec created a marketing plan to sell beef tacos.
  

High School Division:

• 1st Prize: Mid-Iowa Youth Beef Team of Marshall County taught by Julie Gray. The student team of Abe Dielman, Lane Lekin, Taylor Lekin, Leah Mosher, Delaney Nichols, Emily Pansegrau, Sydney Parizek, Mark Patten created a marketing plan to sell Zip Strips Beef Jerky.
  
• 2nd Prize: Wilton Jr Sr High School taught by Gary Bruns. The student team of Kayden Johnson, Spencer Meinert, and Ty Seligman created a marketing plan to sell beef ribeye.
  
• 3rd Prize: Alta Aurelia Community School taught by Jamie Haugen. The student team of Abby Kraemer and Emily Morse created a marketing plan to sell burger bites.

Contest submissions were due March 15, 2019. Submissions were judged by a panel of industry experts, beef producers, and educators.  Prizes include up to $200, a personalized virtual tour (FarmChat®) of a beef farm, and first place classrooms will have a BBQ lunch brought to their school and supplied by the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

Elementary students who participated in the contest selected a beef product and then work together in teams of three or more, or as a classroom, to submit a poster that advertises the product or showcases the health benefits associated with eating beef. Middle school and high school students who participated worked together to submit a marketing plan of their selected beef-focused product. Their marketing plans included an introduction, product details, marketing tactics, a market analysis, and nutrition information. The program is funded in part by the Iowa Beef Checkoff.

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About the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation: IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers who want to teach Iowa’s students about agriculture. The mission is to educate Iowans, with a focus on youth, regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture. Iowa is a leading producer of agricultural products that are essential to feed a growing world population, estimated to reach more than 9 billion by 2050. IALF believes it is important for all Iowans to understand the essential role agriculture has in their lives. IALF will support existing agriculture education efforts such as FFA, 4-H and Ag in the Classroom. IALF was created through a joint effort of agricultural stakeholders, including the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Silos and Smokestacks Foundation, DuPont Pioneer, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information visit IALF online at IowaAgLiteracy.org, on Facebook, and Twitter.

About the Iowa Beef Industry Council: The Iowa Beef Industry Council is funded by the $1-per-head National Beef Checkoff Program and the $0.50-per-head Iowa State Beef Checkoff. Checkoff dollars are invested in beef promotion, consumer information, research, industry information and foreign market development, all with the purpose of strengthening beef demand. For more information, visit www.iabeef.org.