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If you drive through rural Indiana in late September and pass a corn field or pasture with hundreds of students standing around holes in the ground, you have happened upon the highly esteemed and time-honored 4-H and FFA Soil Judging Career Development Event.
In shorthand, it's known as Soils, and each fall, it draws agriculture students to fields across the state and nation.
Two weeks ago, our family farm hosted two days of Soils. There was a strict tell-no-one rule, as the location of the event is kept tight under lock and key. If the location gets out, coaches and participants can find it on soil maps and determine several answers before arriving. It was exciting to be in on the secret!
The day before the first group of students arrived, the county highway department dug four holes in our hay field, creating ramps that sloped to a four-foot deep flat area where students would evaluate drainage, parent material, soil profile, and more.
A soils hole.
It rained the night before both competitions. Early the first morning, Dad and the contest officials pumped water out of the holes, spread straw up and down the ramps, and placed pallets in the flats.
No cold nor rain nor bleak gray skies defeats Soil Judgers. Students came prepared in gumboots and rain jackets.
Before their time began, students stood with their backs to the holes.
4-H and FFA members waiting to evaluate the soil.
Participants had 15 minutes to look at the soil profile between the yardsticks, which provide measurements that help them answer the questions on their scorecards. They also took soil samples on either side of the yardsticks to evaluate texture and color.
Panorama of one of the soils holes. The yardsticks designate the area where the students evaluate the soil profile, and soil samples are taken on either side of the yardsticks.
After the students had filled out their scorecards, the contest officials shared their critiques of each hole, explaining that Soils helps students’ futures when they buy houses or land, as the soil determines where good places to live or work are found.
Thanks for Reading!
And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:
What’s your favorite contest to participate in?
Share your answer and this newsletter with a friend who enjoys competitions.
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This Week on the Farm
It’s that time of year when we prepare for winter, making sure we don’t need to fly to the farm to fix something at 3 in the morning when it’s 8 degrees out. Of course, there are always those unexpected events, but if there’s anything we can do to prevent such events, we like to do that. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
We’re also preparing for Light in Winter: The Exhibition! Read more in our “Farm Shop.”
Farm Shop
For the past two winters, an artist friend and I have sent light to others each week with written and illustrated stories from the farm. Now, that series is coming to life in Light in Winter: The Exhibition!
In January and February 2024, lambs, llamas, cats, and more will take over the Crawfordsville District Public Library as we showcase our writing and illustrations. There will be four new stories exclusive to the show, as well.
You, too, can shine your light by supporting the exhibition and giving light to others who need it this winter! Here are some ways to give on our official exhibition page.