Both the team and a student from Norfolk took home top honors from the recent State Land Judging contest held recently in Nebraska’s Panhandle.

Students and instructors from 29 high schools met near Gering to compete in State Land Judging on Oct. 19. The North Platte Natural Resources District partnered with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to host the annual competition. With towering bluffs rising to the north, students judged in a dryland cornfield southwest of Wildcat Hills Recreation Area.

“We are honored to host the State Land Judging contest,” said Scott Schaneman, North Platte NRD general manager. “Our region’s unique bluffs have a rich geological history, and it’s a great opportunity for our youth to learn about the value of soil resources in western Nebraska. We are thankful for the many volunteers and partnering agencies who helped make this contest a tremendous success.”

Land judging is a high school competition that challenges students to gain a better understanding of soil structure and land evaluation. Teams consist of four students from the same FFA chapter, and a few individuals who qualified separate from a team. Each participant learns how to recognize the physical features of the soil, determine land capability for crop production, and evaluate management practices needed for proper stewardship.

During the competition, students judge four soil pits using an evaluation card to make assessments on soil depth, surface texture, permeability, slope, thickness of surface and erosion. Each evaluation card is scored and added together to determine overall scores for individuals and the team.

In order to compete in the state contest, teams advance from one of the seven regional competitions hosted across the state in October.

Winners

Here are the 2022 State Land Judging individual champions:

Here are the 2022 State Land Judging team champions:

These top five Nebraska teams will advance to the national competition in Oklahoma City from May 2-4. For more information on Nebraska Land Judging, visit nrdnet.org.

Grimes is the public relations director for Nebraska Association of NRDs.

Source: NARD