Van Buren 4H Land Judging Team Heading To Nationals

The Van Buren County 4H Land Judging Team is heading to the national competition.

Coach Lance Smith said the all-girls team placed 2nd in the state and will get to compete at the National Land Judging Contest in Oklahoma in May. He said this is only the second time a team from Van Buren has made it to this level.

“There’s a lot of studying,” Smith said. “A lot of studying going out into the field looking at pits, feeling dirt textures, memorizing all of the stuff on the card. Just it is, a lot of studying and a lot of time and effort put into it.”

Smith said the national competition will require even more effort. He said in addition to having more tests, students will also have to deal with environmental factors they don’t typically see in Tennessee.

Smith said he and his team are happy to have all their efforts recognized. He said these types of competitions help students hone in on invaluable skills that will serve them in the agricultural world.

“You can go into soil science, crop science, you can even tie animal science into it,” Smith said. “Just because you don’t work for NRCS or something that like, you can still work in agriculture with these skills.”