East Knox FFA places second in state Urban Soils CDE, advances to OKC

The East Knox FFA Urban Soils Career Development Event team placed second out of a field of 108 teams from across Ohio in the state event held online on Oct. 20.

The team members are Cheyenne Anders, Addison Crouch, Hailey Frazee, Alexandria Magers and Haleigh Landis. Cheyenne Anders finished as the fourth-place individual in the state, Addison Crouch finished fifth, Hailey Frazee was 31st, Alexandria Magers placed 39th and Haleigh Landis finished 61st out of 587 competitors from across Ohio. These members will represent Ohio in the National Homesite Evaluation Contest next May in Oklahoma City.

East Knox prepared for the state urban contest after placing second out of six teams in the District 7 invitational competition conducted earlier at the Lawhon Farm in Knox County. Individually in the district, Haleigh Landis placed fourth and Alexandria Magers finished fifth.

Prior to the district contest East Knox FFA placed second in the county event sponsored by the Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District. Individually in that competition, Haleigh Landis finished fourth.

In the urban land evaluation event, members determine soil slope, landform, flooding hazard, stability, texture at three different levels, structure in the subsoil, drainage class, depth to restrictive features and depth to bedrock. Since this competition was held online this year, team members were shown video clips and pictures of pits to determine the soil characteristics. That information is then used to make recommendations to utilize the site for houses with basements; sewage treatment systems; driveways and roads; or lawns, gardens, and landscaping. Teams also take a written test about soils, taking soil information from the web soil survey.

The team will receive a banner for placing second in the state, and Anders and Crouch will receive plaques for finishing individually in the top ten.

This is the 26th time in the last 35 years that an East Knox FFA soil career development event team has represented Ohio in the national contest— the most of any FFA in Ohio. East Knox FFA has also had a soil team place in the top 10 in the state 35 out of the last 38 years.