Gilbert High School’s Future Farmers of America students took home a gold medal at the state spring conference in the competition of meat evaluation. 

Gilbert High’s meat processing facilities and dual-enrollment animal science courses, one of just four programs of its kind at high schools across the country, help to prepare students toward career readiness while demonstrating their skills through the FFA’s career development events, achieving a state win and qualification to the FFA National Convention in October 2025. 

The Meat Evaluation competition is one of the many CDEs the FFA Foundation has to offer, where participants explore the science of meat.  

The team event includes students evaluating beef carcasses for quality and yield grade, identifying various meat cuts, including muscle and bone Identification, and wholesale and/or retail cuts.  

The Gilbert High FFA team members who won the state competition were junior Gunner Mertlich, first place; junior Mia Conti, second place; freshman Hyrum Dorny, fourth place; and senior Dakota Hubbard. Their FFA chapter adviser, Casey Farnsworth, assisted.

“It’s an honor for Gilbert FFA students to represent Arizona on a national level,” Farnsworth said. “These students have put in countless hours to learn, study and practice the material. They have taken time outside of school hours to practice, meet with professionals in the industry and even explore additional competitions to practice.”  

When in high school, Farnsworth competed in the meat evaluation CDE and was a part of the 2003 Arizona FFA state champion team. This experience is not only a full-circle moment for the agricultural teacher but also a great resource for the students to understand how the students’ skills can translate into career opportunities.  

Gilbert High School has one of four high school meat processing facilities in the country, with Farnsworth being able to teach students about the production of livestock in the barn and how it becomes food on the table.  

Their classwork includes processing a variety of large stock such as cattle, sheep, and hogs, learning industry standards for meat harvesting and packaging. This class has allowed students to get jobs at grocery store delis, butcheries and food handling facilities.  

The FFA organization is not only based on creating skills within the agricultural field, but also life skills that can translate to career opportunities as early as high school graduation. 

FFA members can compete in both CDEs and leadership development events in a variety of pathways, such as employment skills, prepared public speaking, agricultural sales and marketing and more.  

Along with competition in these events, students have opportunities within the classroom for dual-enrollment credit, certifications, and hands-on learning. 

Those who wish to learn more about the career and technical education pathways provided at Gilbert Public Schools can go to https://www.gilbertschools.net/teaching-learning/academic-programs/cte.