Osterloh, an assistant professor of soils and pedology in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, appreciates the meaningful experience competition provides his students. “One of the things that makes soil judging great is the experiential learning. I'm a big proponent of ‘learn by doing,’ and getting the time to dedicate full days to being outside and experiencing a soil in place, with the landscape and land management all around you, are truly unforgettable.
“It also gives students the direct connection of some otherwise abstract concepts that we use in the classroom,” Osterloh continued, “such as how the surrounding environmental factors (geology, climate, topography, organisms and time) actually come together to form a soil.”
Regional competitors arrived a few days prior to the competition, spending time with sample soils from the Omaha region, becoming familiar with the characteristics of the soil and the region prior to contest day. On the day of the event, students evaluate the official contest soil and rate it in five categories: landscape, soil morphology, hydraulic properties, taxonomy (classification) and site interpretation. Their answers are graded against a rubric, and the top numerical scores win. Results are double verified, with at least two judges grading every evaluation sheet. A similar protocol will be followed at the national competition in North Carolina this spring.
Team members are enrolled in Osterloh’s soil judging class and come from many different majors, including agronomy, agricultural education, biochemistry, natural resource management and engineering. “It's a great way for students who are not focused on soil but are soil adjacent to get an in-depth crash course on all things soil,” Osterloh said.
Desmith is appreciative of this experiential learning. "Being part of the soil judging team has been an amazing opportunity to apply what I have learned in the classroom to the field,” Desmith said. “It has deepened my understanding of soil and land management while providing valuable experience that I can draw on in my future career in agriculture."
Osterloh is in his seventh year at SDSU. He brought to his faculty position experience in soil judging and coaching while earning his master’s degree from Northern Illinois University and his doctorate from Oregon State University. He is a firm believer that students who participate in competitive soil judging gain real-world experience that help prepare them for a variety of careers.
“Soil judging is one of the few classes where students get to fully bridge the lecture hall to the professional world,” Osterloh said. “We don't just get to see and study cool soils in other places; the students get to see how the landowners manage their land and what impacts that has on the soil.”
Source : sdstate.edu