Collegiate Soil Judging

I have been soil judging for seven years and this year was my final year as a competitor. FFA judging and collegiate judging are very different as I have come to know based on moving through both contests. In FFA judging you are looking at soil in a very broad view and only look at a view of the details that make soil, soil. While in collegiate judging you are looking at all of the fine details in the classification of soil and you are trying to see what soil scientists would call the soil. I have loved being a part of the Purdue team as it has provided me with knowledge of soils and allowed me to make friends.

COVID has limited the number of contests I have been able to compete in so over the past four years at Purdue I have competed in five contests. My freshman year our regional contest was held in Stevens Point, Wisconsin where we placed in the top three gaining us a place at the national competition which was held in San Luis Obispo, California. Sophomore year regionals were in Platteville, Wisconsin where we place top three gaining a place at nationals that was later cancelled due to COVID. Junior year we were unable to compete in either regionals or nationals due to COVID restrictions. Senior year we had regionals in Illinois where we place top three gaining a place at Nationals in Colombus, Ohio where we placed 8th overall. 

I will miss being a part of the team and exploring my love of soils. I hope to take all that I have learned and pass on this love and information to my future students so that soil judging continues to grow and become a favorite activity for others. Come and join the team and learn to love or appreciate soils the way that I do. Good luck to all future soil judgers, I know you’ll have a good time and experience. 

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