Give to the Max 2024

October 22, 2024
soil judging team photo

Soil judging is the field component of soil science, a diverse discipline that combines chemistry, geology, physics, and biology, and at UMN, this student group works hard and plays hard. Soil judging students apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to real world landscapes, and they get their hands dirty in the process.

Send the team to Nationals! Last month, the soil judgers competed in the Region V Contest in Great Bend, Kansas. The Gophers had a student place in the top ten: Ava McCune placed eighth. UMN placed second in team judging, for an overall third place finish at Regionals! The team qualified for and will compete in the National Collegiate Soils Judging Contest in Stevens Point, Wisconsin this spring. 

This semester, the team has grown to its largest in years with 23 participants, more than half of them first-time soil judgers - a testament to the infectious team camaraderie. The team nurtures growing excitement for soil science as a field of interdisciplinary study and a future career path. Our group meets weekly to practice skills like hand texturing, study topics like geologic history and soil taxonomy, and deepen their knowledge and commitment to the field. Monthly field days (when the ground isn't frozen) bring together students for immersive analyses of soils in the field. This is a passionate group of students that will drive forward the next generation of soil science, agricultural, and environmental science professionals.

Support these hardworking students: Soil judging is completely funded through donations from our community, who values hands-on learning, hard work, and collaboration. We’re asking you to dig deep and show your support with a gift today.