From FFA to intercollegiate meat judge for Sonoma’s Casey Spencer

After growing up exploring the world of livestock in Sonoma’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H Club, last month Casey Spencer found himself in Australia, judging meat.

Students typically compete with others from across the world, but this year’s competition in Australia only included students from Australia and the University of Wyoming. Over 3,000 people have participated in the competition in Australia throughout the 33 years it has existed.

Through positive experiences with teachers in Sonoma, he grew his passion for agriculture and began studying Agricultural Business and Farm and Ranch Management at the University of Wyoming in 2021.

While in college, he took a course on meat judging and learned about the travel it entails. Meat judging competitions occur all across the country and the globe.

This was enticing to Spencer and some of his classmates, who joined an intercollegiate team of 12 students, who compete against other student teams.

“I have learned about the meat science industry and what drives it. I have also met some amazing people and made great contacts,” said Spencer.

He’s competed in Texas, Colorado and Nebraska, with plans to head to Indiana and other states in the fall.

Each student can participate for one season, which runs from January through November. However, due to its intense schedule, practices began last fall.

Students practice six days a week, starting between 4 and 5 in the morning, in a freezer. Monday through Friday, they practice until classes begin, while Saturday practices run until noon.

“Nobody is naturally good at it. It takes practice,” said Spencer.

Competitions are based on the student’s ability to assess the quality of a meat carcass. It is an in-depth process that requires a lot of knowledge, and even an equation.

The equation includes the lean color, marbling and skeletal maturity of the carcass.

Students determine the yield grade, which is the meat versus the fat and bone. They also decide a class based on the quality and cut-ability of the meat. Classes include prime choice, select and standard.

In their assessment, they must provide written reasons for their determinations. The competitions are judged by the American Meat Science Association.

While judging meat has been a fun focus in college, it’s not one of his longterm goals. He “loves to be outside too much and can’t be cooped up in a cooler forever.”

Spencer envisions his future working in beef and cattle production.

“That is what I am passionate about. I love working with horses and have loved every minute of it, except when they kick me. I have been shoeing horses since I was 16. I have worked in most major aspects of the beef and cattle industry as well and think that this is what I want to do,” said Spencer.

Spencer has been surrounded by agriculture his whole life. He has his own horseshoeing business and spends his summers managing vineyards in Sonoma.

Spencer has continued his horseshoeing business in college and brings his trailer with him to Wyoming. He also works in the university’s meat lab, which is similar to a campus butcher but is also used for research.

Looking back on his journey, he has realized how much Sonoma’s agricultural programs have done for him. He participated in the Sonoma County Fair for over 10 years and Lori Bisordi, an agriculture teacher at Sonoma Valley High, mentored him with his livestock project post-graduation. He is currently hauling hogs for the Sonoma County Fair, an act of gratitude to the many people who helped him along his way.

Ag students prepare for the fair

Sonoma’s 4-H and FFA students have been working all year to prepare their animals for the fair. Each participant funds the project out of their own pocket, raising farm animals by hand with the hope of selling it for a profit at the fair auctions, said Bisordi.

Many students participate in the fair year after year.

“This is my fourth and last year showing animals at the fair. One of my two steers is local to Sonoma and the other is from somewhere that I have grown up going to, which is pretty special,” said Brylee Aubin, a recent Sonoma Valley High graduate and FFA member.

During the fair, the Junior Livestock Area will be filled with animals raised by students from all across the region. Participants compete by displaying their animals for a panel of judges, with the goal of earning ribbons in three categories.

The three categories that the shows are broken into are showmanship, market and born and bred.

Showmanship measures how well a student works with their animal. Market is the overall value of the product, which is determined by the judges and thus sets the auction price. The final category is for animals that are born and bred in Sonoma County.

Junior Livestock shows take place throughout the week from Aug 3 to 5. Once ribbons have been awarded, the animals are put up for auctions on Aug. 5 and 6.

This year, there will be pigs, steers, sheep, goats, rabbits and poultry meat on the auction block.

The second week of the fair highlights Breeding Livestock, which includes breeders from across the state and Junior Breeding projects, according to Bisordi.

At this year’s fair, there will be “89 market steers, 205 market lambs, 255 market hogs, 23 market goats, 19 rabbits, 27 poultry meat pens,” Amanda O'Brien at the Sonoma County Fair Livestock Office emailed the I-T.

The students participating in the fair include, “331 4-H exhibitors and 171 FFA exhibitors,” O’Brien wrote.

Typically, wineries, banks, grocery stores and community members will buy a student’s animal and send it to the butcher shop of the buyer’s choosing. How much profit a student makes depends on the quality of their animal and market pricing.

“The students are all on-board and working hard to make sure our projects look great for the fair,” said Bisordi.

Sonoma FFA projects have more than doubled since Bisordi was hired approximately three years ago. What began as 109 students ballooned to 250 this year. It helps to have two teachers in the ag department, Bisordi believes, which allows for more hands-on oversight and experiences such as participating in the fair.

You can reach Index-Tribune Intern Mia Epstein at mia.epstein@sonomanews.com.