Paul Berg

The AMSA Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award was established in 1993 to recognize outstanding contributions or service to the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Program.

The 2007 AMSA Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award is sponsored by Food Safety Net Services, San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Paul Berg grew up on a small, diversified farm southwest of Fargo and North Dakota State University (NDSU). His education began in a one-room schoolhouse with his mother as the teacher, and he graduated from West Fargo High School. He showed purebred cattle at regional fairs while still in high school and between sessions during college. The experience of showing cattle convinced him to transfer from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, to what was then North Dakota Agricultural College (NDAC), majoring in Animal Husbandry. He graduated in 1960, the same year NDAC became NDSU. He accepted a position as assistant County Extension Agent, and then returned to the family farm in 1961. He entered graduate school in 1963, while continuing to operate the farm with his father. He was appointed to a full-time faculty research position in 1966. Because of credit load restrictions associated with the faculty status, he didn’t become Dr. Berg until 1975.

“PB,” as students know him, first taught animal breeding in 1970, and has taught all of the animal genetics-related undergraduate courses since 1972. Many student evaluations have indicated because he was actively involved in raising cattle, the animal breeding classes were presented from a practitioner’s point of view. When V.K. Johnson stepped down as meat judging team coach in 1975, PB picked up coaching the team – and has been doing so ever since. Along with Dr. Bert Moore and Prof. Russ Danielson, he has coached the Meat Animal Evaluation Team since 1978. He has taught the Meat Animal Evaluation class Paul T. Berg North Dakota State University Awards Presentation for the past 10 years. Over 50 judging team alumni have gone on for advanced academic or professional degrees in the 30 years PB has coached. His teaching efforts have been recognized three times with the “Apple Polisher” award of the Bison Ambassadors.

Dr. Berg is the College of Agriculture representative to the University Athletic Committee and has served on numerous College of Agriculture and departmental committees. He is the Advisor to the NDSU Judging Club, and he initiated “Beef Up With The Bison”, a giant tailgate prior to a football game each fall as a fundraiser for NDSU judging team activities. He organized and has served as advisor, coordinator and chief cook for “Carnivore Catering.” The business’ profits, totaling more than $250,000 since the early 1980s, are used to fund student travel to scientific meetings, to defray publication costs, and for the purchase of computer hardware and software.

Dr. Berg has judged many 4-H and FFA livestock and carcass shows. He has officiated the State FFA meat judging contest for the past 24 years and was elected an Honorary State Farmer in 1982. PB has participated in numerous carcass and meat processing demonstrations for various livestock organizations within North Dakota. Dr. Berg was awarded a lifetime membership to the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association in 2006, and was named The North Dakota Winter Show “Man of the Year” in 2006.

Dr. Berg is an active member of AMSA and the Intercollegiate Meat Coaches Association (IMCA). He served several times on the IMCA executive board and participated in the development of AMSA’s Meat Evaluation Handbook. His efforts with the Iowa State University invitational contest each fall have help ensure a high quality experience for all who participate. He is also an active contest committee member, having served on official committees for a number of contests.

Through decades of dedicated service to his students and active leadership of the meat judging program, Paul Berg has established a legacy that will have a continuing impact on the meat industry for years to come.