Manatee County students sure know their soil

Chief Judge Juan Vega explains the answers to the students after the competition. (provided photo)

Agriculture is, what, the second-largest contributor to the Manatee County economy?

Makes sense  that local students would get to know what makes the good earth bloom, and what makes a good foundation for a home.

Gail Somodi, Manatee County Soil Conservation Supervisor, has provided us with the results of the 51^st annual land judging competition sponsored by the Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District.

The competition was held behind the Quattlebaum House on Manatee County property near Lake Manatee.  

Several board members were on hand as Manatee County FFA teams from middle and high schools, and a junior 4-H team competed. 

Students used land-judging scorecards to answer questions about soil properties at four fields in categories as such as slope, depth, texture, permeability, erosion and nutrients. One of the fields represented a potential home site location, and students were questioned on how well the land could serve as a building site, according to a press release Gail sent us.

Andrew Merrill, a student at Southeast High School, had the highest individual overall score and won the I.H. Stewart Award, sponsored by ECo Consultants and presented by Alec Hoffner. Two of Merrill’s scores were perfect, with the remaining two nearly so. 

The team composed of Zach Butler, Andrew Merrill, Hunter Horne, and Sammy Dittmann from Southeast High School won the Callon Keen Sr. Award for the team with the highest score, sponsored by the Keen Family and presented by Callon Keen Jr.  The team, advised by Mike Buckley, also placed first in the FFA high school division.

Placing second was the FFA high school team from Palmetto High School, advised by Mike Ingram, with students Richard Maraj, Colin Kirker, Kaitlyn Richman, and Daphne Alvarez. 

The FFA high school team from Braden River High School placed third, advised by Deb Barry with students Kayla Alexander, Lizzie King, and Thomas Huesman.

Placing first at the middle school level for FFA was the team of Nicholas Bartoszek, Marshall Craig, Carla Luna and Meagan Gigliotti from Nolan Middle School, advised by Stefani Heidenthal.  

The second place team advised by Kimberley Lough of Lincoln Middle School, included students Dylan Alvarez, Jonathan Tyler, Elizabeth Atkinson, and Brian Teachey.

 In third place, also advised by Heidenthal, was the team of Emily Chamness, Izzy Chamness, Dalton Burton, and Logan Troyer from Nolan Middle School.

The junior 4-H team including Samuel West, Benjamin Hoffner, and Jesse West was advised by Alec Hoffner of ECo Consultants and placed first in the 4-H junior division.

Special medals were given to the high scoring individual at each of four fields.  This year, one individual, Andrew Merrill from Southeast High School had the highest score at each of the four fields in the Senior Division.  Junior Division winners were Fields 1 and 3:  Samuel West/4-H; Fields 2: Carla Luna/Nolan Middle School; and Field 4: Nicholas Bartoszek/Nolan Middle School.

The winning FFA teams from Southeast High School and Nolan Middle School along with the Junior 4-H team are eligible to compete in the state land judging competition to be held in late March this year on March 30^th in Marion County.

Soil Scientist Juan Vega served as chief Judge. Lunch was provided and prepared by Doug Wilbanks of Syngenta and Jerry Dukes of Oro-Agri. Guest Cully Rowell of Manatee County Cattlemen’s Association, saw the need for tables and chairs for lunch and arranged for them in short order courtesy of the Cattlemen’s Association.

For a gallery of photos, visit:

http://www.bradenton.com/2012/03/04/3917201/photo-gallery-manatee-county-students.html#wgt=rcntmulti 

For more information see http://landjudging.ifas.ufl.edu