Arkansas swept the 4-H Chopped competition at the 2022 Mid-South Farm and Gin Show. Three of the four Arkansas teams placed in the top three as 4-H members from Tennessee and Arkansas competed in the food challenge which tested their skill to adapt ingredients into healthy meals.

The winners of the competition were Sarah Lamb, 15; Kat Chambers, 14; Christian Trombley, 14; and Adelene Westfall, 15. The team is from Howard County, Ark.

The teams demonstrated their knowledge and skills related to preparing a healthy meal using items commonly found in a local food pantry. The contest emphasized limiting food waste, food efficiency, and healthiness of a meal.

“We are so excited to welcome Arkansas and Tennessee 4-H members and this competition,” said Tim Price, Mid-South Farm & Gin Show manager and executive vice president of Southern Cotton Ginners Association and Foundation, co-sponsor of the show with Delta Farm Press.

“In the past, we have welcomed FFA students to a meal packaging event for distribution through Mid-South Food Bank,” said Price. “These meals are great to distribute to developing countries and in natural disaster situations.

“What we’re finding is food pantry customers would benefit from some direction on putting together nutritious meals from the items they receive at the pantry. This competition was an opportunity to showcase some of the recipes and options available.”

Each state had a maximum of four teams with two to four members on each team. A panel of judges, with diverse backgrounds, provided insight on the team’s dishes, based on a scoring rubric and guidelines.

The teams each received a mystery box of items commonly received from a food pantry and had a specific deadline in which to create the recipe for the judges. Price said that the dishes developed in the high energy competition could easily be adapted by families using the same ingredients.

Cash prizes were awarded to the top three teams, and all participants received a certificate of participation.

The competition was held on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Renasant Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn.