The sights and smells of the 54th annual Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest filled the Grand Concourse of the Iowa State Fair last week as 50 food enthusiasts from around the state competed for the title of cookout champion.

Some contestants had found success in the contest before. Others, like Brandon Bowden, didn’t know what to expect when they arrived.

Bowden was unaware of the Farm Bureau Cookout Contest, which begins...