Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest rules

Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest


Participant eligibility:

  • Must be an Iowa resident, ages 18+. 
  • For the youth competition, contestants must be ages 13-17 by August 18, 2026.
  • Farm Bureau membership is not required to compete.
  • Farm Bureau or affiliated company employees are not eligible to compete.
  • Past Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest champions are not eligible to compete.

 

How to enter:  

  1. Contestants who compete at a county Farm Bureau Cookout Contest and are named Grand Champion will receive an automatic bid to the Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest held at the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday, August 18. You do not have to compete in the county where you reside. 
  1. Because not every county Farm Bureau hosts a local Cookout Contest, those interested in competing in the Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest at the Iowa State Fair may sign up online for a chance to backfill remaining competition slots not filled by county Cookout Contest Grand Champions.
    1. Online registrants are encouraged to identify all categories they would be willing to compete in.
      1. Youth do not have to qualify at a county contest to compete at the state event. There are 10 slots reserved for youth competitors, and those slots will be filled online on a first come, first serve basis.
      2. Contestant notifications will begin June 22 via email. Phone calls may be made in attempt to confirm participation. If participation cannot be confirmed within two weeks, another contestant will be selected to fill the vacant spot. This process will continue until slots are filled.

 

State Cookout Contest entry categories:  

  • Pork
  • Beef
  • Poultry
  • Turkey
  • Lamb
  • Youth 
  • Showmanship: This category will be limited to 12 participants (2 from each category), who will be selected via a lottery system. Showmanship is a separate category from the meat entry and is scored on presentation, side dish(es), place-setting and contestant enthusiasm and cooking knowledge.

Event timeline:

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 event timeline

1 a.m. – Contestants are allowed to enter the state fairgrounds and begin set up.
7 a.m. – All contestants MUST be set up on the Grand Concourse.
8 a.m. – Registration opens.
9 a.m. – Judging begins.
11 a.m. – Judging ends and scores are tabulated.
11:15 a.m. – Grand Championship judging begins. An announcement will be made that you can begin cleaning up and/or handing out the remaining food samples you may have.
12 p.m. – Winners are announced.
12:30 p.m. – Contestants will pack up the remainder of their items and WAIT to be dismissed by event staff to retrieve vehicles and/or trailers. This is due to heavy congestion on the Grand Concourse and fair goer safety. We appreciate your patience while we do this.    

 

Contest guidelines:  

  • Contestants who were named Grand Champion at a county Farm Bureau Cookout Contest must compete at the Iowa State Fair Cookout Contest with the same recipe/meat that won the local county contest.
     
  • Both county Cookout Contest Grand Champions and selected online contestants must submit a recipe for the state competition for judging purposes. This will help event organizers assign your turn-in times for judging.
     
  • At the state event, each competitor will be provided a 12x12 space and is responsible for supplying everything they need for the contest, excluding power, which will be available upon request. However, you MUST bring your own extension cord.
     
  • Delivery and loading/unloading of all equipment is the responsibility of the contestant.
     
  • Your judging timeslots will be assigned prior to the Cookout Contest and will arrive with your contestant packet. Judging times fall between 9 and 11 a.m. Unlike other contests, judges will visit your tent to interact with you and sample your dish.
     
  • Meat dishes MUST be cooked on-site but can be marinated/seasoned prior to your arrival at the contest. Meat dishes that are already fully cooked before arrival and simply warmed will be disqualified.  
  • The Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest is a family-friendly event that allows backyard chefs to win cash prizes and bragging rights. We pride our contest on the comradery and respectfulness shown amongst competitors. Those who exhibit foul language, rude behavior toward event organizers and/or judges or disorderly conduct will be disqualified and barred from future competitions.  


Frequently asked questions:

Do I need to pay to enter the Iowa State Fairgrounds? 
Iowa Farm Bureau will provide contestants with two Iowa State Fair tickets and one parking pass. Additional tickets for family members/friends are at your expense. 

What time can I arrive on the Grand Concourse?
You may arrive at 1 a.m. to set up and begin cooking. If you arrive earlier than 1 a.m., you will not be granted access to the fairgrounds. Contestants MUST be in place with all vehicles off the Grand Concourse by 7 a.m. 

What gate do I need to use? 
Contestants will receive a parking permit via USPS. This permit allows access through Gate 8 on Dean Avenue between 1-7 a.m. You will also be provided with a permit to park outside Gate 13 in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds after you have unloaded your cooking equipment and supplies.

How large of a space do I have to cook in? 
Each contestant is given a 12 x 12 space. All items for the competition, including tents, cooking equipment, tables, etc. must fit within this space.

What type of dish is acceptable to prepare?
Contestants may only participate in their single, pre-assigned meat category. In terms of acceptable dishes, past contestants have done everything from smoke a whole turkey or rack of pork ribs to making bacon wrapped meatballs or a turkey taco.

This is not a Kansas City BBQ Sanctioned event. Instead, the Farm Bureau Cookout Contest takes into consideration participant creativity in honoring the diversity of real meat raised right here in Iowa. Half of the scorecard awards points on flavor and cooking execution. While the remaining half is on product knowledge, appearance and originality. View the scorecard here to consider how your dish may measure up.

If I’m not cooking in the pork category, can I still use bacon in my preparation?
Contestants are allowed to wrap bacon around their items, however mixing two different meats is not allowed. For example, you may do a bacon-wrapped chicken breast, but you may not mix bacon into a beef burger. They must be able to be distinguishable from one another. 

What do I need to bring, and what is provided by Farm Bureau? 
Contestants are responsible for 100% of what they need, including a tent, folding tables, chairs, your grill/smoker, meat and ingredients, cooking tools, serving trays or plates, silverware, toothpicks, napkins, paper towels, etc. For those who need electricity, Iowa Farm Bureau will provide it (however, contestants MUST bring their own extension cord).

Is there a hand or dishwashing station available? Is there water? 
No. Contestants are responsible for bringing their own wipes, jugs of water, towels, soap, etc. Bathrooms are available on the state fairgrounds, but there is no water or washing stations provided on the Grand Concourse for the Cookout Contest.

What is Showmanship? How can I compete? 
The showmanship category reflects personal flair, plating, place settings, decorations, contestant knowledge and includes a side dish. This category is an add-on to individual meat categories. Contestants who win their county Cookout Contest or sign up online to backfill competition slots must indicate if they would like to compete in Showmanship. Because of the high demand to compete in this category with limited judging time, 12 contestants (2 per entry category) will be selected via a lottery system and notified of their eligibility. View the showmanship scorecard here.

How many samples do I need to prepare for judging? 
You may need up to six samples for judging: (2) samples for your category judge, (2) samples if you are selected to compete in Showmanship and (2) samples if you advance to the Championship round.

If you are selected to compete in the Showmanship category, you will need an additional two samples, bringing your total to six samples.

Am I expected to give fairgoers samples as they visit the event? 
No, this is not an expectation of the competition. You are welcome to serve samples if you have extra food; however, don’t forget to hold a portion back in the event the Grand Champion judge circles back to your tent.

Can I sell my own sauces and/or seasonings from my booth? 
No. There are strict rules on the fairgrounds about sales. You may tell fairgoers about your business and products, but transactions are strictly prohibited.