Sawyer Brinkman of Carroll Earns Youth Division Title 

More than 40 contestants competed along the Grand Concourse for $4,600 in cash prizes during Iowa Farm Bureau’s 62nd annual Cookout Contest, with Michaiah Jones of Coralville winning the Grand Champion crown and title. 

Jones’ Citrus Smoked Turkey Breast scored high marks from judges on taste, appearance and recipe creativity. He received $1,000, the champion’s crown and a trophy as the 2026 Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest Champion. Jones also earned $400 for winning the turkey division. 

An Iowa State Fair tradition since 1964, more than 2,450 Iowans completed in Iowa Farm Bureau’s Cookout Contest, which celebrates Iowa-raised meat and the commitment Iowa livestock farmers make every day to their animals, land and communities. Competitors signed up to compete in early May and were randomly placed in one of six categories: beef, chicken, lamb, pork, turkey and a youth division for ages 13-18. 

“The Farm Bureau Cookout Contest is a fun way to bring people together around something Iowans know and love — a good, homegrown meal,” said Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson. “It’s also a chance to celebrate the farmers who put food on our tables and take pride in doing it well. Every day, they work to earn consumers’ trust through responsible farming practices and a commitment to producing quality food.”

Other contestants taking first place, and $400 in cash, in their respective categories include: Refugio Contreras of Hampton, beef; Martez Stevenson of West Des Moines, chicken; Mitch Elliott of Muscatine, lamb; and Erik Gutierrez of Glenwood, pork.

Sawyer Brinkman of Carroll won first place in the youth division, receiving a gas grill valued at $1,000 and $300 cash, courtesy of the Iowa Propane Gas Association.

Second place finishers included: Ben Zehr of Keswick, beef; Matthew Stout of Washington, chicken; Logan Kahler of Boone, lamb; Rick Slaymaker of Ottumwa, pork; and Erik Mortens of Polk City, turkey. All second-place category finishers received $200. Chris Andrews of Dayton finished second place in the youth division, winning $150.  

Contreras also earned praise and $200 in the showmanship category for his flair behind the grill, use of side dishes and presentation. 

Prize sponsors for the Farm Bureau Cookout Contest include Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau Financial Services, GROWMARK, Inc., Iowa Propane Gas Association, Iowa

Pork Producers Association, the Iowa Beef Industry Council, the Iowa Turkey Federation and the North Central Poultry Association.  

Editor’s Note- Photographed from Left to Right: Johnson, Jones, Governor Kim Reynolds and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.