Down and Dirty
Have you ever land judged or do you even know what land judging is? Land Judging is a high school competition that challenges students to gain a better understanding of soil structure and land evaluation. Land Judging enables each participant to learn how to recognize the physical features of the soil, determine land capability for crop production, and evaluate management practices needed for proper stewardship. Soil, land and home-site evaluation provide a setting for students to investigate the soils in their region, the environment that surrounds them and their effect on their daily lives.
Early in October, the Maywood FFA Chapter drove to Alma, and competed in a land evaluation contest. This contest is where FFA members are split into groups and judge four land sites. At these sites each member has to locate the following: the depth of soil, surface texture, permeability, slope, thickness of surface, and erosion of the site. Once the FFA students get to one of the sites they are told the field information by the Natural Resource District official. This information consists of original topsoil thickness, landscape position, drainage, pH level, phosphorous level, potassium level, and nitrogen level. Members are also told if the field never floods, ponds, or overhead water is a problem. After the participants mark their card they then find the land class that the site is. These sites can either be placed as cropland, rangeland, or wildlife.
The Maywood FFA chapter was very competitive. Four out of the nine students who competed ribboned. Marisa Foster and Tyler Esslinger received a white ribbon and Bailey Brown and Grace Koubek each received a red ribbon. Maywood’s FFA chapter did receive a team ribbon and that team consisted of Tyler Esslinger, Bailey Brown, Marisa Foster, and Tucker Hartley. Maywood also participating in the contest were BreAnna Kahler, Amanda Smith, Kayla Minary, and Keegan Dibbern. There was a total of 258 FFA members that participated. It was a great day for getting dirty.