National poultry judging contest named in honor of Ted Cameron

The annual National Poultry Judging Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation, was recently named the USPOULTRY Foundation Ted Cameron National Poultry Judging Contest. It will be funded through a grant from Mountaire Corp., in honor of Ted Cameron, past chairman of Mountaire. Under the leadership of Ted Cameron's son and current CEO Ronnie Cameron, the company has grown to be the seventh largest broiler producer in the United States. The contest is part of the foundation's comprehensive student outreach program to attract young people into poultry careers.
"We are pleased to support this longstanding poultry judging competition that helps recruit and retain tomorrow's leaders of the poultry industry," Ronnie Cameron said. "We are happy to contribute to a program that exposes bright young students to poultry opportunities. It is essential for the sustainability and future of our industry. And I am personally proud that it is named in recognition of my father, one of our industry's pioneers."
Louisiana State University (LSU) recently won the 67^th National Poultry Judging Contest, held at LSU. The Penn State University team placed a close second in the team competition. Additionally, Nicholas Adams, a sophomore at LSU, was announced high individual winner, and BJ McDill, a junior at LSU, finished second in the individual category.
The contest was established to enhance young people's interest in the poultry industry and encourage student enrollment in poultry science and related studies. Teams compete in production judging, breed selection and market products judging. Ten universities participated in this year's competition. The awards were presented by Paul Pressley, executive vice president of industry programs, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.
The USPOULTRY Foundation also sponsors the annual College Student Career Program and International College Student Career Program at the International Poultry Expo, supports National FFA and National 4-H poultry activities and funds student recruiting efforts at colleges and universities from coast to coast.