Fessenden-Bowdon FFA earn gold

Six members of the Fessenden-Bowdon FFA Chapter recently traveled to Dickinson, N.D., to take part in the North Dakota FFA Land Judging Career Development Event. The event took place on Thursday, August 3.

Two members earned gold awards, two members earned silver awards and two earned bronze awards. The team finished in second place overall, just eight points from the first place team and earned a gold team award.

The event was won by the Harvey FFA Chapter which earned its way to the National Range Judging Event in Oklahoma in May for the second consecutive year.

Members participating in land judging evaluate four sites of land. Sites vary in location annually with this years' sites west and north of Dickinson. At each site, students determine the following land characteristics: surface soil texture, internal drainage, depth of soil, slope of the land, erosion hazards and degree of salinity. Using this information, members determine the land classification and select the proper vegetative and mechanical management practices to be used on the sites evaluated as well as determining nutritional needs of each site.

Earning gold awards for Fessenden-Bowdon were Delaney Erfle who finished in third place overall and Ryan Snively who finished in fifth place overall. Donavin Bartz and Chloe Bartz earned silver awards and Logan Schimelfenig and Lane Risovi earned bronze awards.

The chapter would like to thank Joel Bartz, Klindworth Seed and Justin Risovi for making practice sites available for the team as they prepared for the event.