LINCOLN, Nebraska – Students and instructors from 29 high schools met near Gering to compete in State Land Judging Oct. 19. The North Platte Natural Resources District (NRD) partnered with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to host the annual competition.

With towering bluffs rising to the north, students judged in a dryland corn field 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.

2022 State Land Judging Individual Champions:

• Ashlynn Millikan, Norfolk
• Colton Miller, Lyons-Decatur
• Aiden Cuba, Twin River
• Clay Maloloey, Holdrege
• Jameson Doyle, Hampton

2022 State Land Judging Team Champions:

• Norfolk (Ashlynn Millikan, Cole Ransen, Mercer Thierry and Eatherton Madison)
• Hampton (Jameson Doyle, Brooke Lubke, Edward VanLandingham and Korbin Stump)
• Southwest (Mitchel Stritt, Hunter Blume, Treven Critchfield and Nathan Rippe)
• Bayard (Nolan Dueker, Taylor Petersen, Cambree Schmaltz and Riley Hopkins)
• Lewiston (Jaqueline Mullins, Taven Borcher, Leah Christen and Jazmine Thomsen)

These top five Nebraska teams will advance to the national competition hosted in Oklahoma City May 2-4, 2023. For more information on Nebraska Land Judging, visit www.nrdnet.org.