Submitted by Mrs. Becker
Members of the Algona FFA Chapter recently competed at the Iowa FFA Soils Evaluation Career Development Event, held at the Iowa State University Agronomy Farm near Ames. The Algona team earned a 16th place Gold rating among 30 FFA chapters and 117 individual contestants from across the state.
Team members included Cassidy Bierstedt, Riley Schechinger, Grady Ruger, and Malea Divis. Individually, Bierstedt placed 19th overall, Schechinger 57th, Ruger 61st, and Divis 77th. The team also performed especially well in individual soil pit evaluations, earning 4th place in Pit 4 and 11th place in Pit 2.
The Soils Evaluation Career Development Event provides students an opportunity to apply their agricultural knowledge and critical thinking skills to real-world scenarios related to soil and land use. Participants evaluated four soil pits and completed a written exam about Iowa soils. The scorecard used in the competition is divided into five sections: Surface Features, Soil Features of the Profile, Land Capability Classification and Productivity Potential, Evaluation of Management Practices, and Sustainability of Soils for Non-Agricultural Uses.
The Iowa FFA Soils Evaluation Career Development Event was made possible through the generous support of Heartland Co-op, via the Iowa FFA Foundation. The Iowa State University Department of Agronomy and the Iowa State University Worle Farm hosted the event. Coordination and support were provided by Amber Anderson of Iowa State University. Tim Youngquist, Farm Specialist with the ISU STRIPS Project, and Karl Nicolaus of ISU Farms served as event hosts. The Iowa State University Soils Judging Team and several PhD students in Soil Science assisted as pit monitors. Official judges included Rich Pope, Lee Burras, and Amber Anderson.
Algona FFA Advisor Betsy Becker stated, “The students put in many hours of practice and preparation leading up to this event. Competing at the state level and earning a gold rating reflects their dedication and teamwork. I’m proud of the way they represented our chapter and community.”