BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota students had a strong showing at the 2023 National Range Judging Contest.
The annual contest was May 4, and brought 32 teams from across the country to El Reno, Oklahoma. There were six teams in the 4-H division and 26 teams in the FFA division. One 4-H and three FFA teams from South Dakota competed.
Day County’s 4-H team placed second in the nation, out of six teams. Their team included Matt Mork, Brent Snaza, Sage Sippel and Blaise McGregor, with Fred Zenk as their coach. Mork also placed third out of 24 4-H student competitors.
Also coached by Zenk, the Webster FFA team placed 14th in the nation. The team includes Chris Gaikowski, Bobbie Eide and Caleb Weyh.
The Wessington Springs FFA team placed seventh out of 26 teams. The team included Kristi Munsen, Austin Schimke, Blake Larson and Laden Christensen, with coach Brady Duxbury. Munsen placed ninth out of 98 FFA student competitors, with a score of 820 out of 1,000 points.
Lemmon’s FFA team took 12th place, with a team that included Katelyn Gebhart, Alyssa Dix, Shannon Gebhart and Samuel Weishaar, and coach Renae Gebhart.
Sandy Smart, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader; Dave Ollila, with the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition; and Tyler Swan, with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, helped the high school agriculture teachers and their students practice for the contest.
“SDSU Extension supports the range judging contest because we see value in helping students learn about range plants and the benefits of understanding how to properly manage rangelands for beef and wildlife,” said Smart.
Smart said students must be able to identify 130 plants, 39 grasses, 19 legumes, 41 forbs and 31 trees/woody plants – the majority of which are not found in South Dakota. Of the six bluestems to identify, for example, only two species are in South Dakota (big bluestem and little bluestem). Students also need to learn each plant’s life history, season of growth, origin and desirability.
“South Dakota students are at a distinct disadvantage as the contest is held around the Oklahoma City area each year,” Smart said. “Let me tell you, it is a lot of work! I have attended the trip the last five times, and I am finally learning how to tell these plants apart.”
The teams typically arrive in Oklahoma on Saturday and practice from Sunday to Wednesday, with the contest on Thursday. When not studying, the students get to tour some of the interesting sites and museums, and stop by a favorite ice cream shop.
For more information, contact Sandy Smart, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader.
