Polk County FFA Chapter Land Judging Teams made more history for Polk County High School. 

The Senior Team placed fourth qualifying for the National Land and Range Competition held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in May. 

It is historical because it is the third year in a row. Polk has been two years in a row in 2010 and 2011. 

Additionally, the Junior Team won its second state championship in a row.

“We always want to win state, but our number one goal is to try to get every kid who participates the chance to go to nationals,” said Chauncey Barber, agricultural education teacher. “Just really proud and thankful to have great students and a lot of community support. I really believe these experiences outside of school give students an advantage on down the road in life that cannot be measured by a test!”     

The Polk FFA Chapter participated in the 65th Annual North Carolina FFA Association Land Judging Career Development Event on Nov. 17, 2018, in Guilford County North Carolina. 

The Senior Team was Mason Merrill, Karli Kilgore, Hunter Lynch and Wyatt Kay, who took all first-place honors in the federation and second in the western region and fourth in the state senior division. The team qualified for the National Land Judging Finals held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, later in the spring of 2019. 

The Junior Team, comprised of Chan Barber, Lacey Gosnell, Katie Campuzano-Gomez and McKenna Hill, placed first in the federation, western region and in the state junior division. Campuzano-Gomez and Hill tied for the second highest scoring individuals in the junior division.  Over 40 teams competed in the competition. 

In early April 1955, 188 FFA members met on a parcel of land in Harnett County near Dunn, North Carolina, where Interstate 95 was being constructed.  It was on this site that the first “Soil Appreciation and Soil Judging School” was held.

Sixty-four years later, hundreds of FFA members from across the state traveled to Johnston County to participate in the year’s 64th Annual North Carolina Land Judging Career Development Event.

This event encourages students in seventh through 12th grade to analyze land characteristics such as soil type, erosion and drainage to determine the best possible use.  Knowledge about soils can be organized and applied in managing farms, fields, and woodlands, developing communities as well as engineering work.  Students are able to comprehend why soils respond differently to management practices and how soil properties affect crop growth and urban uses as well as environmental concerns.

The top three teams and high scoring individual will be recognized during the 91st North Carolina FFA State Convention in Raleigh on June 18-20, 2019. 

This event is one of 43 different career development events offered to North Carolina FFA members on the state level.  The Soil Science Society of North Carolina sponsors this event.

The North Carolina FFA is a youth organization of 19,301 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 317 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, representatives said.  Those interested in learning more may visit ncffa.org. 

Those interested in helping sponsor the Polk County High School FFA Land Judging Team’s trip to Oklahoma may contact Chauncey Barber at 828-894-2525 or cbarber@polkschools.org.    

– Submitted by Chauncey Barber