Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The Banner County High School land judging team finished third at the regional last week and will advance to the Oct. 22 state competition in McCook. Pictured, from left, are: Christina Grubbs, Rebecca Brown, Taylor Evans and Paige Cross. Banner County is one of three local teams to qualify for the state competition.
Competing at what the organizing soil scientist deemed a special site, 85 students from across the Panhandle tested their skills in the West Region Land Judging Contest, vying for three team spots at the state contest.
Bayard won the event, while Scottsbluff finished second and Banner County took third place.
"This is one of the best sites for learning I've ever seen," NRCS Soil Scientist Chuck Markley told students just prior to the contest. "I hope you and your instructors can take advantage of all it has to offer."
The contest site north of Chappell enabled students to see four widely varying examples of soil types and profiles, or layers going down in the earth. Among those was the unique chance to observe the unique geology at the edge of a playa, a round shallow hollow that is often slow draining and at times of the year can hold water for extended periods. In the Panhandle, students rarely have the chance to use a playa in land judging.
Bayard High School swept the top spots in both team and individual scoring, with the team of Kristina McGann, Rachelle Eads, Tristan Hunter and Loren Haase qualifying for state as the overall champion. Eads joined Manny Acosta and Joe Ferrero, both also of Bayard, as individual purple ribbon winners.
While Bayard teams topped several places in team scoring, land judging provides that only one team per school qualifies for state competition, allowing teams from Scottsbluff and Banner County to move on to the state contest in the McCook area Oct. 22.
Qualifying for Scottsbluff were teammates Paige Weborg, Sam McQuistan, Hunter Hill and Jamie Carlson. Christina Grubbs, Rebecca Brown, Taylor Evans and Paige Cross will be Banner County's representatives.
Land judging is a high school competition that challenges students to gain a better understanding of soil structure and land evaluation. It enables participants 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.
The contest is organized and run by representatives from local Natural Resources Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services offices and UNL Extension personnel as well as other interested organizations. This year 20 people from a half dozen area offices participated in putting on the contest.
The West Region contest is one of seven regional events across the state. This year's West Region host was the South Platte Natural Resources District.