Waukon FFA competes in District Soils Evaluation CDE

written by Mallory Berns, Chapter Reporter

The Waukon FFA Chapter participated in the annual Northeast District Soils Evaluation Career Development Event held at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo September 28. Members of the 12th-place team included Waukon High School students Ethan Gibbs, Caleb Helgerson, Olivia Marti and Ethan Palmer.

There were 62 teams at the event, resulting in 223 individuals that participated in this year’s Career Development Event designed to provide students an opportunity to display their agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of Soils Evaluation. The Soils Evaluation Career Development Event included the evaluation of four soil pits, plus a written exam about soils in Iowa.

The scorecard 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 Sustainability of Soils for Non-Agricultural Uses. The team placed fifth on the written exam, which helped lead the team to its 12th-place finish.