Arkansas 4-H members grill their way to success at state barbecue contest
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
July 7, 2025
Fast Facts:
- Evan Cloud, Abi Tustison are chicken, turkey barbecue champions
- Arkansas 4-H barbecue contest held at Annual Poultry Festival in Rogers
- Winners advance to national competition in Louisville, Kentucky
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(Newsrooms: With art)
ROGERS, Ark. — A self-taught griller from Hot Spring County and a novice from Lonoke County came away winners from the 2025 4-H State Barbecue Contest.
Evan Cloud, 16, won the chicken division, while Abi Tustison, 18 of Lonoke County, won the turkey division. Both will advance to the national contest in November, which will be held at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
Fourteen Arkansas 4-H members from 12 counties put their skills to the test at the state competition, held June 20-21 in Rogers as part of the 65th annual Poultry Festival.
Andrew Bolton, extension instructor of poultry science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the state barbecue contest benefits participants in several ways.
“This competition helps expose these students to a great many opportunities,” Bolton said. “At the Poultry Festival, they are among leaders in the Arkansas poultry industry, and that gives them exciting chances to network and learn about the industry. I have seen youth who have come back multiple years and have seen their confidence jump year after year.”
Cloud has been a member of Hot Spring County 4-H for 11 years. After competing in his county’s 4-H barbecue contest for the last three years, he finally qualified for the state contest earlier this spring.
“It was a relief to finally be able to actually go to state,” Cloud said.
Cloud sees barbecuing as a way to spend quality time with family and friends — not to mention the taste bud benefits.
“Cooking barbecue helps me bond with some of the people I love most,” Cloud said. “I’m always on the grill at family events. And once you get done with everything, being able to taste what you’ve made is what really makes me happy.”
Tustison first joined Lonoke County 4-H when she was 7 years old. Last year, she qualified for the state barbecue contest and placed fourth, despite being a novice to grilling.
“When I first started last year, I was new to it, I didn’t know anything about grilling, so I just said, ‘We’re going to attempt this and we’re going to learn,’” Tustison said. “I’m an active person, and I like being outside, and that’s the main aspect with grilling. With it, it brings socializing, it brings gathering and it brings community.”
Bringing the heat
Chicken barbecue contestants were given four chicken thighs with which to create their dishes. For his winning chicken barbecue recipe, Cloud attributed his success to a special seasoning blend.
“I have changed the recipe a little bit every couple of years, using different seasonings to try to get something that is better than the last year,” Cloud said. “I think this year was my best because I was able to use a smokehouse maple seasoning. It really paid off.”
Cloud said he “enjoyed the higher competition” at the state contest. “It made me feel like I had to be better than what I was,” he said.
“I was very nervous when I first presented to judges, but once I tasted my chicken, I realized it was the best chicken I’ve ever cooked,” Cloud said. “And I started feeling very, very confident.”
Tustison said that after finding a wild game seasoning, which “could literally make anything taste amazing,” she prepared for the state contest by practicing grilling techniques.
“I learned how to start my grill better, how to practice prepping and how to keep juices in and keep my burger moist by using aluminum foil,” Tustison said. “I practiced wrapping the grill, and I practiced making sure that I could get it to start without a chimney starter and without using lighter fluid.”
Tustison said she picked up a technique from a fellow competitor at a previous contest and used it for her winning turkey burgers.
“She put cranberry sauce in the middle of her burger and folded it over, so with that idea, I used cheese because we’re from America — who doesn’t like cheese with their burger?” Tustison said. “I use a thin patty, then put a little clump of cheese in the middle, then stack another thin patty on top and I press the edges together, forming a little cheese ball of burger. After that, I typically braise it with barbecue sauce and let it cook. It’s awesome.”
Preparing for nationals
Bolton said contestants also had to prepare a poster with information about the poultry or turkey industry, including food safety instructions and nutritional value. At the national competition, participants must deliver this information in an oral presentation.
Cloud said he is “very, very nervous” about giving his speech, but that he has plenty of time to prepare. He said other 4-H members should get involved with the barbecue contest to make new connections with their fellow cooks.
“It’s fun, and you get to have a new experience with everyone around you, and just get to talk and meet new people,” Cloud said. “You’ll get to know more people and make better friendships.”
Though Tustison is also anxious about the national contest, she said her competitive nature is a motivating force.
“I get this adrenaline rush from being proactive and productive,” Tustison said. “But I’m very nervous because I know there are a lot of people who are just as good as me that are going to be there, and I want to win. So, I’m going to try my best, and I’m just going to work hard and practice because that’s just who I am. I’m competitive.”
Tustison said she encourages her fellow 4-H members to take the leap and give the contest a try.
“If you’re interested, always act,” Tustison said. “Because trying something new could always spark a hobby, and it could be a passion that you never knew that you liked, and that can be something that can help you get through tough times in your life.
“I love being able to find things that help me feel free, and feel like I’m able to express myself,” she said. “4-H is one of those safe places for me and being able to cook and talk and be social with people, it’s just a welcoming environment, and people need to be able to experience that.”
The Arkansas 4-H youth development program is operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the Division of Agriculture. To learn more about Arkansas 4-H, visit 4h.uada.edu.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_
501-671-2061