2025 Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Since 1964, the Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest has hosted more than 2,400 backyard chefs on the Iowa State Fair Grand Concourse.The Cookout Contest is a celebration of Iowa-raised meats and the farmers who provide this high-quality product with animal care and environmental sustainability as their top priority.
WANT TO JOIN THIS ELITE GROUP OF COMPETITORS?
THERE ARE TWO ROADS TO THE GRAND CONCOURSE:
Win a Farm Bureau County Contest
Competitors who are named Grand Champion of a County Farm Bureau Cookout Contest will get an automatic spot to compete at the state competition. Competitors do NOT have to be residents of the County Cookout Contest they are competing in.
Click Here for County Contest Dates
Sign up for a Special Category
Due to limited qualifying cookout contest locations, we're offering the chance to fill open slots at the state competition in the following categories: poultry, turkey, lamb and a youth competition (ages 13 - 17).
Click here to register now
Eligibility
Any Iowa resident 18+ is eligible to participate in the Cookout Contest. Contestants ages 13 - 17 will compete in the youth division. Farm Bureau membership is not required. Past Cookout Contest champions and Farm Bureau or affiliated company employees are not eligible to compete.Entry categories
Entry categories at the state level include pork, beef, poultry, turkey, lamb and a youth competition. Additionally, a limited number of contestants may participate in the Showmanship category.Prizes
| Category | Prize |
|---|---|
| Beef - sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council | 1st place: $400 / 2nd place: $200 |
| Pork - sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association | 1st place: $400 / 2nd place: $200 |
| Turkey - sponsored by the Iowa Turkey Federation | 1st place: $400 / 2nd place: $200 |
| Poultry - sponsored by the Iowa Poultry Association | 1st place: $400 / 2nd place: $200 |
| Lamb - sponsored by Growmark | 1st place: $400 / 2nd place: $200 |
| Youth - sponsored by the Iowa Propane Gas Association | 1st place: $300 + Gas grill / 2nd place: $150 |
| Showmanship - sponsored by Farm Bureau Financial Services | $200 |
| Grand Champion - sponsored by Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Financial Services | $1,000 |
Additional Details:
Thank you to our sponsors
For additional information, contact Stacy Stevens (515 225-5633), or your county Farm Bureau office.