Events and Activities : Test Your Weed Identification Skills at the 2023 Iowa State Fair

The annual Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Iowa State Fair Weed Identification Contest will be held on Friday, Aug. 11, from 9-11:30 a.m. in front of the John Deere Agriculture Building.

Participants of all ages can test their knowledge of common weeds found in Iowa, by attempting to identify real weed samples, potted and on tabletop display. Contestants need to know commonly accepted names of weeds but do not need to know scientific names.

With three divisions - Future Agronomists (youth under age 19), General and Professional - the contest offers fun competition for the entire family. Following the contest, winners will be announced at the 3 p.m. awards ceremony inside the John Deere Agriculture Building. Weeds from the contest will also remain on display for the duration of the fair in the lower level of the John Deere Agriculture Building.

The top five winners in each division will walk away with a cash prize and a coveted Iowa State Fair ribbon. Future agronomists will identify 20 common Iowa weeds, those in the general division will identify 30 weeds, and professionals will identify all 30, plus five extra-challenging Iowa weeds.

"The weeds for this year's contest are off to a great start, including at least two new species we've never had before. We invite all weed identification enthusiasts to see how their ID skills stack up against the best," said Meaghan Anderson, extension field agronomist and contest organizer. "I highly recommend the whole family compete to see who is the best at weed identification!"

For more information on the contest, reach out to Meaghan Anderson at mjanders@iastate.edu or visit the Iowa State Fair Contests page online.

Not sure you're ready for the big day? Use the ID resources below to study up and win your division:

• Weed Identification Field Guide - 2nd Edition, $5-$10
• University of Missouri Weed ID Guide
• Michigan State University Turf Weeds
• University of Illinois Weed Identification page
• Weed identification apps (Examples: iNaturalist, Seek, PictureThis)