April 25, 2024

Mallory Stover, measuring slope of the land during a soil competition. Submitted photo.

Mallory Stover, measuring slope of the land during a soil competition. Submitted photo.

Racine Southern FFA Chapter Competes in Soil Competitions

By Rachel Jackson, 2019-2020 Racine Southern FFA Historian

RACINE, Ohio – The Racine Southern FFA Chapter recently participated in soil competitions.

The Agricultural and Urban Soils Career Development Event (CDE) is an educational activity designed as a practical method of teaching students to evaluate land and soil and to make decisions when faced with soil related issues that affect agricultural production.  The Land Judging CDE is designed to develop skills in determining soil characteristics and determining land capability classes based upon the characteristics.

On September 18, 2019 five members of the Racine Southern FFA chapter traveled to Athens County, Ohio (Abfall Farms in Albany, OH) for the annual Athens-Meigs Soil Contest.  This contest is open to all FFA Chapters in Meigs and Athens County.  The contest is broken up into two parts, agricultural judging and urban judging. In agricultural judging, the Racine Southern FFA soil judging team consisted of Austin Rose, Ethan Mullen, Theron Black, and Tiffany Cremeans. Coming in first place overall in Agriculture Soils was Austin Rose and Ethan Mullen placing second in individual scoring. In Urban Soils, Mallory Stover placed first place in individual scoring.  

On October 1, 2019 Austin Rose, Ethan Mullen, Theron Black, Tiffany Creameans, and Mallory Stover were awarded at the Annual Meigs County Soil and Water Conservation Banquet for their achievements in top scoring in the county for soil judging.  The individuals were presented with an Agriculture Soils Team plaque and money to the top scorers.

On September 26, 2019 the Annual D10 Soils Career Development Event took place in South Gallia.  The district contest is where all FFA chapters in District 10 can come and compete in our soils contest to qualify for the State Contest.  A total of 14 different schools were present.  Eight members of the Racine Southern FFA attended. The ag soil judging team consisted of:  Ethan Mullen, Austin Rose, Theron Black, and Tiffany Cremeans. Their team placed ninth overall.  The individual scoring was Ethan Mullen (722), Austin Rose (576), Theron Black (514) and Tiffany Cremeans (390). The Racine Southern FFA Urban Soil judging team consists of Mallory Stover, Kristin McKay, Caelin Seth, and Austin Rice. Their team placed eighth overall. In urban soils the individual scoring was Mallory Stover (602), Kristin McKay (589), Caelin Seth (581), and Austin Rice (519).