Members of the Seymour High School FFA chapter team that won the Jackson County Soils Judging Contest on Sept. 14 at the Seymour farm of George Mellencamp are, from left, Caroline Thompson, Wyatt Wischmeier, Hayden Williams and Jillian Tormoehlen.
George Mellencamp of Seymour hosted the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual Jackson County Soils Judging Contest on Sept. 14.
The Seymour High School FFA chapter team of Caroline Thompson, Wyatt Wischmeier, Hayden Williams and Jillian Tormoehlen took first place, while the Trinity Lutheran High School FFA chapter team of Hannah Helt, Nathan Finke, Chase Bode and Nathan Voelker placed second.
The Brownstown Central High School FFA chapter team of Matthew Rothert, Jacob Barnes, Kylie Eglen and Brocker Bottorff finished third, followed by the fourth- and fifth-place teams from Trinity Lutheran.
Thompson was the individual winner.
Dena Anderson, a soil scientist with Natural Resources Conservation Service, helped with locating the site for judging, determining where the pits should be dug and prejudging the pits. She then critiqued the pits with the students after the contest was over.
Twenty-one students from Brownstown Central, Seymour and Trinity Lutheran high schools participated in judging four soil pits for nine physical features, such as slope, soil texture, erosion and drainage, to recommend cropping sequences, soil and water, septic and home site management practices.