NRCS Helps with FFA Contest

On April 24, 2008, Texas FFA students traveled to Stephenville, Texas, to compete in the annual State FFA Contest held at the Tarleton State University agricultural farm. Tarleton State University teamed up with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees from Stephenville and Weatherford to assist with a tough contest. NRCS team members included Jeff Goodwin, Lem Creswell, Natalie Wolfe, Ty Heath, Josh Deal and Fred Schrank.

There were 47 teams and 100 individuals that competed in the state range, land, dairy and dairy foods judging. In the range competition, each individual had 80 seconds to identify and then mark the score card. Students identified 30 plants as well as two range sites.

The top three teams were Hico, with a score of 1,102, second went to Jacksboro, with 1,088, and third went to Wall Independent School Districts, with a score of 1,080.

The top three individuals were Braydan Besselaar from Jacksboro with a score of 392. A tie for second and third went to Casey Finstand from Hico and Logan Dodds from Wall, each scoring 380.

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At the FFA range judging contest, students were asked to identify range sites, degree of use, range condition, and practices that should be used at the site.	As part of the FFA range judging contest, students are asked to identify plants by looking at distinguishing characteristics. In this case, the students were to identify hairy grama.	Charles Kneuper, NRCS rangeland management specialist, Gatesville, gives instructions to students before the FFA range judging contest begins.

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