North Carolina FFA Association Land Judging Career Development Event
Welcome to the Land Judging Career Development Event Site! The Land Judging Career Development Event (CDE) is an educational tool for learning about and evaluating the properties and use of soil.  Soil characteristics and features studied in evaluation are those that can be seen and felt.  These properties are significant in making decisions about the capabilities and limitations of soils for agricultural and urban uses.  An understanding of these properties permits some degree of evaluation of soil suitability for all uses.  As students study and gain field experience in land judging, they learn to identify characteristics which can be evaluated to allow logical decisions to be mad. This facilitates better decisions regarding the best use and management of our soil resources.
54th Annual North Carolina FFA Land Judging Event! In early April 1955, 188 FFA members met on a parcel of land in Harnett County near Dunn, North Carolina.  That parcel of land was a fresh roadcut where Interstate 95 was being constructed.  It was on this site that the first "Soil Appreciation and Soil Judging School" was held. Fifty Four Years later hundreds of FFA members from across the state will travel to Wilkes County to participate in the 54th Annual Land Judging Career Development Event.  We look forward to you helping us continue the legacy of personal growth and career success in our land judging event!! 54th Annual North Carolina FFA Land Judging Career Development Event! April 4-5, 2008 East Wilkes, High School, Rhonda, North Carolina
Land Judging Handbook Link
Land Judging Career Development Event Guidelines Senior Division Junior Division
Event History This event officially began in North Carolina in 1955 under the name, "Soil Appreciation and Soil Judging School."  The first contest was held near Dunn on Tuesday, April 12th.  One of the sites judged was a fresh roadcut where interstate 95 was being constructed.  There were 47 teams of four students each in that event.  The winning team was from Mills River in Henderson County.  Beginning with the second annual meet, the name was simplified to, "Land Judging Contest," and the tradition of holding the meet on Saturday began.  The 1956 event was held in the town of Farmer in Randolph County.  The pits were prepared the previous day in spite of heavy rains and much mud.  By judging time the next morning, sunny weather had returned.  The event has always been held as scheduled, "rain or shine," and heavy rain has rarely occurred while judging was in progress.
Our land judging program was among the first begun in the United States.  As early as 1953, meetings were held with teachers and Agricultural Extension Agents in Guilford and Edgecomb Counties.  In 1954, a trial run to check procedures was completed in Snow Hill.  Meanwhile, the first North Carolina State University Extension Circular on land judging was also developed. The credit for getting this program under way must be given to Mr. J. Frank Doggett, Extension Soil Conservationist at North Carolina State University.  He had discussed the educational value of the program with Mr. Edd Roberts of Oklahoma State University.  Mr. Roberts was among those who had helped start a judging program for land which was patterned after the successful livestock judging programs established earlier.  Mr. Doggett soon found enthusiastic supporters of the idea, including soil scientist William D. Lee of North Carolina State University and Mr. Forrest Steele of the Soil Conservation Service.  Mr. Lee, who attended nearly all of the first 34 annual meets, emphasized that Mr. Doggett's persistent enthusiasm convinced them to try the idea, despite the doubt of others.
The Vocational Agriculture staff of the North Carolina Department of Public instruction (now Agricultural Education Team at North Carolina State University) has been instrumental since the beginning in fostering and continuing the program.  From this group, A.L. Teachey and A.G. Bullard helped with teh 1955 meet and R. J. Peeler, State FFA Executive Secretary, was a strong supporter for many years.  The consistent help of personnel of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) and soil scientist throughout the state with the division of Soil and Water Conservation, North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources has been an essential element to the success of this event on federation, regional and state levels in North Carolina. The continuing strong interest and special efforts of agricultural education teachers have mage this interesting learning experience available to thousands of students.  For many it has provided their first meaningful understanding of basic soil properties and conservation methods.
Land Judging and Soil Science Links Landjuding.com National Land Judging Information NC State University Soil Science Department Back to Basics Soil Fertility Website Soil Science Society of America Soil Science Society of America Journal NCDA Agronomic Division Natural Resources Conservation Service The World Wide Soil Jumpstation
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For more information contact Jason Davis State FFA Coordinator NCSU, Box 7606 Raleigh, NC 27695 (919) 515-4206 jason_davis@ncsu.edu