Josh Wells pulls first prize at Florida 4-H Tailgating Contest

On Saturday, October 4, Washington County’s Josh Wells travelled to Gainesville to compete in the annual Florida 4-H Tailgating Contest, a statewide grilling competition. For his third year competing, Wells spent his time smoking his Grilled Zest Pork Chops and took home the $1,500 first place prize for the pork division. After proving his skills in regional competitions and perfecting his lemon zest and rosemary pork rub, Wells competed and won against youth from across Florida for scholarships and other awards. This marks Wells’ second victory, building on last year’s win in the beef division. He’s already looking ahead to next year, with plans to compete in either the chicken or shrimp category.

Josh Wells with his winning recipe and pork entry. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Josh Wells (center) is presented with his 1st place check for $1,500 by University of Florida Professor Dr. Chad Carr (left) and contest sponsor, Publix, representative Adam MacWhinnie (right). [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]