MONTICELLO — Sixteen Monticello FFA members competed in the Southwest Land Judging Contest at the Larson Farm in Gratiot Oct. 18. The Lafayette County Land and Water Conservation Association hosted the contest. 

Multiple individuals and one team from Monticello placed in the contest. The team of Cade Femrite, Harley Disch, Alyssa Holcomb and Natalie Roe placed second overall with a score of 1008, only three points behind the first place team. In addition, three individual members earned individual plaques for placing in the top five overall. Natalie Roe placed fifth overall with a score of 340, Lindsey Pence was fourth with a score of 342 and Cade Femrite was the top individual overall, earning first place with a score of 352.

The Southwest Soils Judging Contest serves as a final exam for the unit on soil conservation in Ryan Indergand’s Environmental Science class and the students excelled in their final evaluation.  The group expressed gratitude toward Dan Roe for digging a practice pit and Natalie Roe for setting it up.