Orchard Ribfest Serves 420 Pounds of Ribs

The rain over the weekend did not stop the Orchard Ribfest, as a total of 18 teams showed to compete in the rib contest and 8 teams competed in the beans contest.

“The turnout was spectacular,” said Double D’s owner, Doug Wright.

His statement was no less than true, with a turnout of more than 400 people throughout the day. Starting at 7 a.m., teams began to show up, firing up their grills and prepping the ribs for the contest. After a long day, the ribs were pulled off at 5 p.m. and were put to the test by the seven judges; Bodie Meyer, Dustin Cleveland, Neil Williby, Eddie Rotherham, Kris Maschullatt, Glen Cheatum, and AJ Clifton.

Placing in the ribs contest were first place Carl Jackson of Niobrara, second place Tanner Schutt of Albion, third place Mark May of Plainview, and fourth place Curt Mitteis of Orchard. Placing in the top two in the beans contest were Mark May, and Carl Jackson.

During the day, a raffle and auction for Alzheimer’s was held. Although they are unsure of the totals at this time, they appreciate all donations and everyone who attended. Each and every one made a difference.

Wright also explained that they ended up serving 420 pounds of ribs in about an hour and forty-five minutes. For the next year, they hope to sanction this event under the Midwest BBQ Association. They will know more information by November 2017.
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“A big thank you to the community and all of our sponsors. We couldn’t have pulled off this event without all of the support,” Wright said gratefully.