FFA Soils take state and bring home champions

Members of the soils team, l to r: Becky Kopp, Courtney Petersen, Karah Hansen, Quincy Griffith and Eric Osborn. Not pictured are Julie Audas and Katelyn Gregory. 

by Rachel Ranfeld

For the third year in a row and the 11^th year since 1992, Rick Swenson and his FFA soils team went to the state competition. 

Swenson’s team competed against 30 other teams at Iowa State University in Ames on Oct. 7 and 8.

His team consists of his FFA students Julie Audas, Katelyn Gregory, Quincy Griffith, Becky Kopp, Karah Hansen, Courtney Peterson and Eric Osborn.

Individually, Peterson earned the individual state champion soil contestant, Gregory had the highest exam score and was 7^th and Griffith placed 13^th.

Peterson attributed her success and first place position to “a lot of hard work and a lot of  way-too-early-morning practices.” 

The competition consisted of two main events. First, the team took a test over the main principles of soils and how soils can be used for civil engineering activities. Second, they examined four different types of soils to see what each soil could be used for, such as agricultural purposes or building houses, apartment complexes or parks.

They also examined four types of soils at the sub-district contest in Sigourney on Sept. 21 and at the district contest in Muscatine on Oct. 4. 

“In Iowa, there’s 200 different types of soils, so the chances of us getting the same type over and over again are very slim,” said Swenson. 

Gregory, Griffith, Peterson, Osborn and alternate Audas will advance to the FFA National Land Judging in Oklahoma City in May of 2012.