Article written by Skyler Allen, 2025-2026 Racine Southern FFA Historian
The Ohio FFA Soils Career Development Event (CDE) is more than just a competition—it’s an intensive, hands-on opportunity for students to cultivate the expertise needed for careers in agriculture and natural resources. For the members of the Racine Southern FFA Chapter, this annual event is a cornerstone of their learning, where classroom knowledge meets the dirt and challenges of real-world land evaluation.
The Soils CDE is divided into two main categories: Agricultural (Rural) Soils and Urban Soils. Students on both teams are tasked with entering a soil pit to evaluate and record key soil properties like texture, structure, drainage, and limiting layers. They must also analyze the surrounding landscape, including slope and erosion levels. Both contests have a written examination covering general soil science knowledge and the use of the official Web Soil Survey. The overall goal is to teach students to analyze soil-related issues and make informed, practical decisions about land use. Local soil contests are practice events held within a county, while district contests are official competitions that serve as qualifiers for the state level. Rural soils are assessed for agricultural potential, while Urban soils are evaluated for non-farm uses like construction and landscaping.
From Local Success to District Challenge
The journey for the Racine Southern FFA Soils teams is a rigorous one, beginning with a Local Soils Contest before advancing to the district level.
Local Contest: Home Field Advantage
The Racine Southern FFA participates in a local competition involving nearby chapters, often in coordination with the Meigs County Soil and Water Conservation District. This local contest provides a crucial opportunity for members to practice their skills under contest conditions.
Local contest, held at Red Bird Branch in Stewart, Ohio, on September 10th, 2025.
Urban Soils Team placed 4th overall. Colton Jones placed 10th overall. Bryer Holley placed 13th overall. Tanner Robinson placed 17th overall. Austin Gaskill placed 19th overall. Garrett Beasley placed 23rd overall. Tanner Harmon placed 26th overall. Kaydon Bowling placed 31st overall.
Rural Soils Team placed 4th overall. Joslyn Hupp places 8th overall. Tyson Hupp places 9th overall. Bethany Roberts placed 16th overall. Garrett VanMeter placed 30th overall. Marcy Evans placed 41th overall.
District contest, held at Waterford, Ohio, on September 24th 2025.
Urban Soils Team placed 8th overall. Colton Jones placed 23rd overall. Garrett VanMeter placed 30th overall. Tanner Robison placed 31st overall. Austin Gaskill placed 54th overall. Kaydon bowling placed 65th overall.
Rural Soils Team placed 8th overall. Tyson Hupp placed 33rd overall. Hunter Lackey placed 42nd overall. Wayne VanMeter placed 45th overall. Bethany Roberts placed 47th overall. Joslyn Hupp placed 48th overall.
Congratulations to all of our members and participants!! We hope to see everyone at soils next year!
