By North Platte Natural Resources District
High school students across the state are getting their hands dirty in the name of science and conservation through the annual Land Judging competition, held each October in partnership with Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The event, hosted in seven statewide regions, challenges students to evaluate real-world soil conditions and recommend land management practices that promote long-term agricultural productivity and environmental stewardship.
During the competition, students visit a site with four exposed soil pits and use official evaluation cards to judge key soil features such as texture, permeability, depth, slope, surface thickness, and erosion. They then determine the land’s capability for crop production and select appropriate conservation treatments from a provided list. These hands-on assessments teach students how to interpret soil structure, classify land, and identify best practices for conserving both soil and water. Individual and team scores are tallied to recognize top performers in soil science and land evaluation.
The contest was hosted on October 8, 2025, in Chadron by Upper Niobrara White NRD. Six schools participated:
Bayard, Bridgeport, Gering, Leyton, Mitchell, and Scottsbluff.
The North Platte NRD other participants included Scottsbluff students George Schmall, Touny Hraskybrown, Logan Zulkoski, Kellan Zulkoski, and Cooper Dudden. Gering students Rece Knight, Bradley Rein, Kooper Wynne and Eain Peterson. Mitchell FFA students Jarine Houk, Emitt Houk, Cash Robbins, and Brenden Keener. Bayard students Ben Bohnston, Layni Nesbitt, Zach Ziemer, Wyatt Edmunds, Robert McConkey, Baileym Sinks, Jake Hansen, Jayde McAllister, Deryn Wood, Aiden Schultz, Kinless Schmaltz, Shelbie McKibbin, Marissa Rein, Nick Rein, Connor Whitney, Jacob Carrizales, Kali Hopkins, Noah Mank, Orren Spalding, Ryleigh Kisner, Collin Whitney, and Addisyn Dalbey. Bridgeport students Cadence Freiberger, Cammie Rader, Westin Little and Annabel Sauer.
Complete contest results are posted https://www.nrdnet.org/nebraska-land-judging-soil-evaluation.
The State Land Judging Competition will be held on Oct. 22, 2025, East Central Region, hosted by Lower Platte North NRD.