BROOKINGS, S.D. - Due to COVID-19 and other safety concerns, several changes will be happening to Rangeland and Soils Days this summer.
The event will focus solely on the Go-Getter (14-to-18-year-old) division. The Go-Getters will judge habitat suitability for cattle and grouse, in addition to plant identification and morphology. New Wrangler (8-to-10-year-old) and Wrangler (11-to-13-year-old) divisions will not be held in 2021. There will be no student talks or displays this year. These aspects of Rangeland and Soils Days will return in 2022.
Due to these changes, the event will be one day, June 2, and will be held in two locations — Murdo and Redfield. Registration will be $5 per individual.
"Go-Getters can come as an individual or as a team of three-to-four members from the county 4-H program or FFA chapter," says Krista Ehlert, Assistant Professor and South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension Range Specialist. "The top Go-Getter range team and the top Go-Getter soils team in 4-H from each event location will represent South Dakota at the National Land and Range Judging Contest held in May of the following year (2022) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma."
Since South Dakota hasn't sent any Go-Getters to nationals in the past two years due to COVID-19, Ehlert says the state will send two 4-H range teams and two 4-H soils teams for the National 2022 competition.
The event in Murdo will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. CST at the Murdo Rodeo Arena, with participants departing for the site at 9 a.m. To register for Murdo, please pay by check to: Jones County Conservation District and mail to P.O. Box 298, Murdo, South Dakota 57559. For questions about location details at the Murdo event, contact Valerie Feddersen at 605-530-2020, and for contest details, contact Emily Helms at 605-570-2180.
The event in Redfield will start with registration at noon CST in the basement of the Spink County Court House, with departure for the site at 12:30 p.m. If you are participating in Redfield, please pay by check to Spink County Conservation District and mail to 628 Second St. SW., Redfield, South Dakota 57469. For questions about the Redfield event, contact Lance Howe at 605-460-0846.
No meals will be provided at either location, however there will be a short awards presentation at the end of the judging contests.
