Brokaw FFA Members Compete in Soils Judging Competitions
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBrokaw FFA members have recently competed in soils judging events at both the district level and state level. On Monday, September 24, five Brokaw members competed in the Southwest District Soils Judging contest held at the Armstrong Research Farm near Lewis. The team of Alex Baker, Ethan Herzberg, Brett Robberts, and Bradlie Wilmes placed 1st out of 26 district teams. Herzberg placed 1st, Baker placed 2nd, Wilmes placed 3rd, and Robberts placed 5th out of 84 total individuals. Brokaw member Brady Williams also competed in the event as an alternate.
The 1st place finish qualified the team to compete at the Iowa FFA Soils Judging Career Development Event at Iowa State University on Saturday, October 20. At the state contest, the Brokaw team received a Gold rating and was named State Champion out of 29 teams from across Iowa. Individually, Herzberg earned State Champion honors and Wilmes placed 3rd out of 112 total participants. Additionally, Herzberg placed 1st in the written exam portion of the event and the team placed 1st in the pit evaluation portion of the event as well. The 1st place state finish qualified the team to compete at the National Land & Range Judging competition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in May of 2019.
The soils event included the judging of four soil pits, plus a written test on soils in Iowa. The score card used to judge the soil pits is divided into five parts: Surface Features, Soil Features- The Profile, Land Capability Classification and Productivity Potential, Evaluation of Management Practices, and Suitability of Soils for Non-Agricultural Uses.
Caption for picture: Brokaw FFA Soil Judging Team members who placed first in the Iowa FFA Soils Evaluation CDE included, from left to right: Brady Williams, Brett Robberts, Alex Baker, Ethan Herzberg, and Bradlie Wilmes.