Older youth in Levy County are itching for new programs and opportunities. The UF/IFAS Extension- Levy County Office is striving to meet this need. Levy County 4-H will have its first Land Judging Team in years due to collaborative efforts between the Levy County Agriculture Agent and Levy County 4-H Program.

Land judging has deep roots in the National FFA and 4-H Programs. Land Judging been used to teach youth about soil and the important role that it plays in agriculture since 1942.

In the past, Levy County 4-H Land Judging teams competed at the local and State level and brought home many wins. Plaques boast 1st place teams in the 1960’s and 1990’s. This year, Levy County 4-H will be competitive at the local level and hopefully the State level as well. Each team practice incorporates activities that allow youth to see different land characteristics first hand. Land characteristics that youth must learn: surface texture, organic matter, thickness of rooting zone, permeability, slope, erosion, and drainage. Each of these characteristics are taught through lecture, labs and field trips.

Practice Makes Perfect!

At the last practice, the team learned about surface textures and organic matter, specifically how to feel the difference between the soil types. There was visual representation of sand, silt and clay particles, each represented by a different size cylinder. The dodgeball represented sand, the softball represented silt and the bead represented clay. Team members were then asked to look at different soil samples under the microscope to see if they could differentiate between the particles present. The members then created their own experiment by mixing a soil sample with water and soap in a test tube, resulting in the separation of particles. This experiment drove home the idea that different soils contain different amounts of each particle.

Members and parents are excited to see this subject make a return to the county 4-H program. One parent made the comment that they love this opportunity because it gives their youth the hands-on learning that may not be available otherwise.

Be sure to follow Levy County 4-H on Facebook to follow along with this team’s success throughout the year!

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