The Oliver County range judging team placed first in the senior division at the North Dakota 4-H and FFA range judging contest. Team members are Rosie Abraham, Elena Sorge, Amelia Abraham and Kelan Hintz.

The team from Cass County placed second in the senior division. Team members are Sam Devick, Zander Swenson, Forrest Sears and Grace Cook.

Each team will receive a $1,000 sponsorship from North Dakota 4-H Foundation to attend the 2024 National Land and Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma.

In the junior division, Griggs County placed first with team members Oliver Fewell, Maddie Abraham, Bailey Schmidt and Bristol Schmidt. The Foster County junior team placed second with members Cainen Stangleand, Kadence Spickler, Kenleigh Hinrichs and Kauri Johnson. Third place went to Oliver County with members Reagan Schmidt, Kylynn Boeshans, Kinley Boeshans and Sophie Price.

Range judging is learning to “read” the range to make proper management decisions. Participants in the North Dakota 4-H and FFA range judging contest learn to recognize the components of the range resource, evaluate the ecosystem’s current condition, develop management practices to improve the ecosystem and develop better understanding of the plant communities.

The range contest involves a five-part program. Youth determine the ecological site and similarity index, evaluate the value of the ecological site for cattle and also sharp-tailed grouse. Cattle are North Dakota’s most important livestock class economically and ecologically, while sharp-tailed grouse, the most common native upland game bird, are used as an indicator of range health.

Youth also must evaluate resource values and management goals to recommend improvement practices. In the team problem, the members make improvement recommendations based on a given situation on a map. Individual scores are awarded for each part of the contest and then added to the team problem to determine the top placing teams.

Participants also earned individual awards.

The top five individuals in the senior division and their scores are:

• First – Rosie Abraham, Oliver County, 698
• Second – Elena Sorge, Oliver County, 620
• Third – Amelia Abraham, Oliver County, 544
• Fourth – Kelan Hintz, Oliver County, 541
• Fifth – Mary Fewell, Oliver County, 538

The top five individuals in the junior division and their scores are:

• Oliver Fewell, Griggs County, 588
• Maddie Abraham, Griggs County, 502
• Cainen Stangeland, Foster County, 493
• Elizabeth Cook , Cass County, 481
• Kadence Spickler, Foster County, 437

This year’s state range judging contest was hosted by the Mandan FFA Chapter with the Mandan Eagles Club sponsoring lunch and providing the host site.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Oct. 3, 2023

Source: Adrian Biewer, 701-231-6184, adrian.biewer@ndsu.edu

Editor: Elizabeth Cronin, 701-231-7881, elizabeth.cronin@ndsu.edu