The Foster County 4-H range management team placed fourth in the National 4-H Range Management Contest held recently in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Team members were Adam Gorseth, Chayla Kuss, Mathias Kubal, Tyler Lee and Beth Lee. Individual winners were:

• Gorseth - 10th
• Kuss - 12th
• Kubal -15th
• Tyler Lee - 18th

The team earned the right to represent North Dakota 4-H in the national event by winning the North Dakota State 4-H Range Management Contest in Mandan in September 2017. The team was Foster County’s first range management team to represent the state in the national contest.

The national contest consists of three ecological sites in which contestants identify the ecological site, similarity index, and habitat-limiting factor for beef production and quail, then make management decisions for optimum range production for beef cattle and quail.

Contestants also identify 20 range plants. In addition, they determine the lifespan, season of growth, origin, quail food, quail cover and beef cattle food for each plant.

“The national contest is quite different than the North Dakota range management contest,” says Joel Lemer, an agent in North Dakota State University Extension’s Foster County office and one of the team’s coaches. “There are a lot of new plants to learn to identify, etc.

“We worked hard preparing for the contest when we were in Oklahoma City,” he adds. “We were pleased with the results. This was a great educational experience for our 4-H members.”

Kevin Sedivec, NDSU Extension rangeland management specialist, is the team’s other coach. 4-H youth development is a program of NDSU Extension.

The North Dakota 4-H Foundation, Foster County 4-H Council, Foster County Soil Conservation District, Farm Credit Services of Carrington and Foster County Farm Bureau sponsored the Foster County 4-H team.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - June 1, 2018