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LINCOLNTON, N.C. - On November 18th and 19th, hundreds of high school and middle school students from across the state travelled to Lincoln County for the 69th Annual North Carolina FFA Land Judging Career Development Event.

The event began in 1955, when 188 FFA members met in Dunn to participate in a “Soil Appreciation and Soil Judging School”. This year’s event took place on a farm in Vale, where students gathered to analyze land characteristics such as soil type, erosion, and drainage. Students were asked to make recommendations for the farmland based on how they evaluated these characteristics. The contest requires students to be knowledgeable about different soil types and properties, and also asks them to be familiar with various farming practices, crop rotations, and urban land uses.

After the contest concluded on Saturday, teams gathered at Lincolnton High School for a meal and an awards presentation. The Lumberton FFA Chapter won the junior division and the Whiteville FFA Chapter won the senior division. The top five teams in the senior division are eligible to compete in the National Land and Range Judging Event in Oklahoma. The West Lincoln FFA Chapter was the only local chapter to compete and placed 11th.  Thirty senior teams and seventeen junior teams participated in the contest.

The event was sponsored by Fuller & Co. Construction, the Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District, Lincoln County Schools, and the North Carolina Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. Several local landowners donated the use of their farmland for the contest, and Lincoln County Public Works assisted in digging the soil pits that were judged.

The North Carolina FFA is a youth organization of 32,597 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture with 355 local chapters across the state. FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ncffa.org for more information.

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