(York, NE) – Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District (NRD) hosted this year’s South Central Land Judging Contest on October 1, 2025. The contest brought together nearly 400 students from twenty-two schools to test their knowledge of soil and land use.

Land Judging is a hands-on competition that allows participants to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world scenarios by studying the characteristics of soil to determine its best use. The hope is to spark interest in agriculture, natural resources and stewardship and inspire the next generation to carry on vital components of Nebraska’s industries.

"Land Judging provides students with a hands-on connection to what we discuss in our classrooms as teachers.  This fully encompasses plant and soil sciences, conservation, and resource management.” said Hampton agriculture teacher and state land judging coordinator, Joel Miller. “It not only reinforces their learning but also sparks interest in careers related to agriculture and natural resources. We are grateful to the Upper Big Blue NRD and NRCS staff for their efforts in making this a positive educational opportunity for all students."

Top teams and individuals from the contest qualify for advancement to the state-level competition, scheduled for later this month. Preliminary results have been released but final results are expected to be announced in the near future – as there has been a delay due to the current government shutdown.

This year’s event was made possible with support from Central Platte NRD, Little Blue NRD, Nebraska Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), NARD, Nature Conservancy, Division of Public Health, Butler County Emergency Management, Gresham Fire Department, AKRS and John Moore, as well as countless other individual volunteers.