Fall Intercollegiate Meat Judging Information
Fall Intercollegiate Meat Judging Schedule
- Beef Empire Days- Saturday, September 19th, 2026- Point of Contact: Dr. Clint Alexander
- Eastern National- Saturday, September 19th, 2026- Cargill; Wyalusing, PA
- American Royal- Sunday, October 18, 2026 - Nebraska Beef; Omaha, NE
- Cargill High Plains-Sunday, November 1, 2026- Cargill; Hereford, TX
- International- Sunday, November 15, 2026- Tyson; Dakota City, NE
Contest Schedule
| 5:30 am | American Division Registration begins at 5:30am-ALL competitors MUST be registered by 6:00am |
| 6:00am | Brief welcome and instructions, divide into groups, and prepare for the contest |
| 6:50am | Competitors enter the cooler |
| 7:00am | Contest begins- we MUST begin on time |
| 8:00am | National Division Registration begins-All competitors MUST be registered by 8:15am |
| 8:15am | Brief welcome and instructions, divide into groups, and prepare for the contest |
| 9:00am | Competitors enter the cooler |
| 2:00pm | Contest Finished |
General Contest Components
Class #1- Beef Carcasses; Class #2- Beef Cuts; Class #3- Pork Carcasses; Class #4- Pork Cuts; Class #5- Lamb Carcasses; Class #6- Value Based Pricing; Class #7- Beef Cuts; Class #8- Pork Carcasses; Class #9- Pork Cuts; Class #10 -Lamb Carcasses; Quality and Yield
Meat Judging Contest Resources
Intercollegiate Meat Judging Handbook_Approved6.21.2026
2026 Fall Pricing Sheet
Fall Contest and Banquet Information
Eastern National- Wyalusing, PA- American Division
Contest Committee: Eddie Behrends, Jodie Pitcock, Will Boyd, Andrea Garmyn, Kealya Harr, Kathryn Miller, and Ben Mills
- Contest Location: Cargill- 1252 PA-706, Wyalusing PA
- Awards Ceremony: Saturday, September 19th at 7:30pm
- Awards Ceremony Location: Wyalusing Community Corporation- Tuscarora Wayne Community Room- 20 Main Street, PO BOX 813, Wyalusing, PA 18853
American Royal- Omaha, NE- National and American Division
Contest Committee: Tom Carr, Jodie Pitcock, Joanna Hardcastle, Kyle Mahagan, Travis Tilton, Stephanie Witberler, and Carrie Thomas
- Contest Location: Nebraska Beef- 4501 36th Street, Omaha NE 68107
- Awards Ceremony: Sunday, October 18th
- Awards Ceremony Location: Dr. Stanley M. and Dorthy Truhlsen Campus Events Center- 619 South 42nd Street, Omaha, NE 68198
- Time: 7:00pm
- Attire: Business Professional
Cargill High Plains- Omaha, NE- National and American Division
Contest Committee: Davey Griffin, Jodie Pitcock, Katie Rose McCullough, Jake Nelson, Trent Schwartz, Sam Davis, and Ian Shann
- Contest Location: Cargill Friona, TX- 1530 US Highway 60, Friona, TX 79035
- Banquet: Sunday, November 2nd at 7:30pm
- Banquet Location: Hereford ISD Administrative Building- 601 N 25 Mile Ave, Hereford, TX 79045
- Time: 7:00pm
- Attire: Business Professional
International- Dakota City, NE- American Division
Contest Committee: Randal Garrett, Jodie Pitcock, Eddie Behrends, Erin Beyer, Collin Corbin, Duane Wulf, and Morgan Pfeiffer
- Contest Location: Tyson Fresh Meats- 5200 Dakota Ave, Dakota City, NE 68731
- Awards Ceremony: Sunday, November 15th at 7:30pm
- Banquet Location: South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront- 385 E. 4th St., South Sioux City, NE 68776
- Time: 7:00pm
- Attire: Business Professional
Facility Touring Information
empirical
empirical Food welcomes industry partners, educators, students and other interested groups to tour our production facilities to learn more about our innovative food production processes, commitment to food safety, and dedication to quality.
Visitors can tour our facilities in:
- Garden City, Kansas - One of the world's most advanced food production plants, producing high-quality, sustainable, safe and superior-tasting lean ground beef.
- South Sioux City, Nebraska - Our established production facility with a long-standing commitment to innovation, quality and food safety.
Whether you're interested in learning more about our operations, exploring careers in food production, or gaining insight into the beef industry, we welcome you to schedule a tour.
If you would like to learn more about company and our new location check out the links below
If you are interested in scheduling a tour, please contact Kelsey Sulzbach at ksulzbach@empiricalfoods.com to arrange a visit. We look forward to welcoming you to empirical foods!
U.S. Meat Animal Research Center
The Roman L. Hruska Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) is 35,000 acres in rural Clay County Nebraska. The center was established in 1964 to solve high priority problems for the beef, sheep, and swine industries. USMARC is recognized around the world for the comprehensive research and industry solutions produced over the last six decades and that legacy continues to this day.
Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit Mission
The primary objectives of the Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit are to reduce the risk of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of red meat, to respond to the research needs of the USDA action and regulatory agencies, to increase efficiency of lean meat production, and to improve eating quality of meat. Pre- and post-harvest food safety research addresses the microbial status of live animals and meat from farm to table using both molecular and standard microbiological techniques. Unique methods are developed and validated as necessary for sampling, isolating and identifying pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Sources of pathogens and approaches for their control at various stages of livestock and meat production are determined in order to reduce the risk of pathogen contamination of meat, other food products, water, and the environment by meat animals. Approaches include determining mechanisms of pathogen infection, colonization, and shedding by meat animals, development and validation of specific and sensitive detection methodologies, and interventions for control of pathogens in meat products, meat animals and the production environment. Meat quality research is directed toward identification of areas of the genome that regulate carcass composition and meat quality, the development of methodologies to classify carcasses based on meat quality traits and lean meat yield, the effect of breed on carcass composition and meat quality, and the development of strategies to optimize meat quality, especially tenderness.
For tours, please contact