MONROE — The Southwest Wisconsin land judging contest was held on September 24. This contest is hosted by the Grant, Lafayette, and Green County Land and Water Conservation Departments. Schools participating were Argyle, Black Hawk, Cassville, Cuba City, Dodgeville, Fennimore, Juda, Lancaster, Milton, Monroe, Monticello, Mt. Horeb, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, Prairie du Chien, River Ridge, Seneca, and Shullsburg. There were a total of 170 students from 19 schools. 

The students traveled to the John Abey farm in Brooklyn Township. Students reviewed four soil pits and determined the position in landscape, slope of the field, type and degree of erosion or if there was deposition, evaluated soil properties, such as texture, structure, and drainage, estimated slope, ranked land classes, observed soil limitations, checked for invasive species, and recommended conservation practices. 

Thank yous go to Brent Wollin for digging the pits for the contest. Jeremy Ziegler and Natalie Irizarry of the Natural Resources Conservation Service were the official judges of the contest. Tonya Gratz, Mason Jarosinski, and Todd Jenson of the Green County Land and Water Conservation Department, Chelsea Starr, of the Green County Natural Resources Conservation Service, Keith Lane, Steve Smith, and Annnette Lolwing of the Grant County Land Conservation Department, and Max Blackbourn of the Lafayette County Land Conservation ran the contest. And of course to John Abey for hosting the contest.