Montezuma FFA earns runner-up honors at the 2021 Iowa FFA Soils Career Development Event

by J.O. Parker

   The Montezuma FFA Chapter dug in and brought home Reserve Champion honors in the annual Iowa FFA Soils Evaluation Career Development Event (CDE) held at Iowa State University on April 30.
    Members of the second place team included: Alex Cheney, who finished second individually; Gavin Tindle, who finished sixth individually; and Carmen and Lauren Klos.
      In addition, Montezuma was the top General Knowledge Examination Team.
Wapello FFA was named champion of the event.
      Montezuma was among 30 chapters from across the state comprised of 116 individuals who participated in this year’s CDE designed to provide the students an opportunity to display their agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of soils evaluation. The Soils Evaluation Career Development Event included the evaluation of four soil pits, plus a written exam about soils in Iowa. The score card used to judge the soil pits is divided into five parts: Surface Features, Soil Features – The Profile, Land Capability Classification and Productivity Potential, Evaluation of Management Practices, and Sustainability of Soils for Non-Agricultural Uses.
       The Montezuma agriculture education instructor and FFA advisor is Rick Swenson.
       The top five teams from across the state qualify for nationals held in Oklahoma City, but due to Covid, the event was canceled in 2020 and again in 2021.