Area Teams Advance in Southeast Area Land Judging Competition

A total of 270 students and adults participated in the 2026 Southeast Area Land Judging competition held Wednesday, Sept. 30, in Richardson County, Nebraska. The farm of Eldon and Ruth Snoke near Humboldt generously hosted the event, bringing together participants from 16 area schools to test their skills in soil and land evaluation.
The competition provides students with hands-on experience in understanding soil characteristics, evaluating land capability for crop production, and identifying appropriate conservation and management practices. These skills help students better understand sustainable agriculture, responsible land use, and the importance of natural resource stewardship.
During the competition, participants rotated through four judging sites, where they had 20 minutes at each location to evaluate the soil and record their answers. The experience challenges students to apply their knowledge of soil properties and determine how land can best be managed for long-term productivity and conservation.
The event was a collaborative effort between the Nemaha Natural Resources District (NRD), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD). The Nemaha NRD extends its appreciation to Mark Willoughby, retired NRCS soil scientist, for volunteering his time and expertise as contest foreman, and to Eldon and Ruth Snoke for generously hosting the competition on their farm. Their support helps make this valuable educational opportunity possible for area students.
“Land stewardship starts with understanding the resources we depend on,” said Maddie Million, Information & Education Coordinator for the Nemaha NRD. “Helping students understand the land today helps prepare the next generation of stewards.”
Student teams from Johnson County Central and Johnson-Brock  qualified to advance to the state competition.
The Johnson County Central team was made up of Cooper Jones, Tegan Topp, Stefani Peters and Tim Johns.
Johnson-Brock’s qualifying team was Quentin Behrends, Noah Metschke, Evelyn Burgett, Johnny Bohling.
In addition to the top qualifying teams, the top ten individuals will also advance to the state competition. Individual state qualifiers are: Savannah Bolli (1), Cooper Jones (2), Jackson Rickers (3), Kailey Hartman (4), Mia Holthus (5), Quentin Behrends (6), Elijah Leyden (7), Noah Metschke (8), Gage Hobbs (9), and Kirsten Knake (10).