Courtesy Photo
RUTLEDGE — Grainger High School FFA members recently completed this year’s Land Evaluation Career Development Events, also known as “Soil Judging.” The event tests students’ ability to determine soil characteristics, land capability, and appropriate conservation and land-use practices.
At the regional competition held at the University of Tennessee’s Holston Farm in Knoxville, Grainger teams earned second and fourth places in the 4-H category and second in the FFA division. In individual awards, Colby Hammer placed third high and Eli Morgan seventh high in FFA, while Owen Reagan placed top individual, Aden Bailey third, and Ty Morgan fourth in 4-H.
Three teams advanced to the state competition at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. At the state level, Hayden Parkey placed third high and Dain Humbard fifth in 4-H, while Eli Morgan placed seventh in FFA.
The Grainger FFA chapter expressed appreciation to the Wayne Whitt family for decades of support. Wayne Whitt and his father, J.P. Whitt, have dug soil judging pits for more than 50 years, helping train generations of students in land evaluation.