Pendleton County FFA members, Alex Adams, Katie Heavner, Ty Heavner and Katie Keyser, earned first place in the eastern region land and homesite judging events at Spring Mills in Berkley County. The team will be competing at the state FFA convention in July.
In land judging, participants learn to understanding basic soil science. They learn to classify soil profiles by physically getting into dug test pits to measure topsoil depth, texture, and permeability. Students determine land capability. Participants analyze landscape factors, such as slope percentage, drainage, and erosion risks, to place the land into specific capability classes. They select conservation practices. Based on the land classification, students recommend specific treatments to protect soil and water health, such as terracing, crop rotation, or strip-cropping.
Homesite evaluation is a program that teaches basic principles of soil science and how these soil properties can influence the suitability of a site for home construction. Participants learn to look for things that make one soil different from another — why some soils are dry and others wet; how “mottling” is a clue to drainage; how soil texture is determined by rubbing soil between one’s fingers; and how to judge depth, erosion, slope, and permeability. These soil factors are used to evaluate whether the soil on the site is suitable for building foundations with basements, can grow plants for lawns and gardens, and if the soil can be used for on-site wastewater treatment systems.
In homesite evaluation, the suitability of the soil and site are judged for the intended use of home construction.
Homesite evaluation in West Virginia focuses on the soil’s suitability for the intended home site use. Many of the factors used in land judging are also applicable to evaluating sites where homes will be constructed. Homesite evaluation is a natural extension of the land judging program and provides another dimension to soil and water conservation education in West Virginia.
