University of Idaho Wins 2025 Soil Judging Contest

May 09, 2025
By Farms.com

Idaho Team Tops 2025 Soil Judging Nationals

The University of Idaho (U of I) secured first place at the 2025 National Collegiate Soil Judging Contest, held from April 27 to May 2 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Competing against 27 teams, U of I distinguished itself by having multiple students in the top 10 individual rankings out of 198 participants.

Sky Reinhardt, a junior agricultural systems management major, placed fifth, while Jacob Flick, a senior mechanical engineering major, placed eighth. Tegan Macy, a junior crop science major, secured the 25th spot.

U of I has been involved in soil judging since the 1980s but had never ranked in the top five before. Their previous best was sixth place in 2024 and seventh in 2023. This victory marks the first time a team from the Northwest region has won the competition.

U of I's team, the smallest to win since West Virginia University in 2016, scored 2,819 points. The University of Delaware and the University of Maryland followed with 2,749 and 2,721 points, respectively.

The contest required participants to assess soil pits individually and as a team, evaluating texture, color, structure, wetness indicators, and other properties.

They identified hydrologic, geologic, and agronomic characteristics, assigned taxonomic classifications, and interpreted practical uses for the soil, including home construction, septic tank drainage, and road construction.

A new feature this year was assessing potato growing suitability, which benefited U of I due to Wisconsin's potato industry. Each participant had an hour to complete their evaluations.

Other team members included Tobee Holman, Logan Mann, Daniel Middelhoven, and Hannah Poland. The team was coached by Paul Tietz and MaryBeth Gavin, with Robert Heinse as the advisor. Donations from corporate supporters and individuals helped cover travel costs.

Looking ahead, U of I will compete in Grand Junction, Colorado, next year, aiming for their fourth consecutive regional title.

The 2026 National Collegiate Soil Judging Contest will be hosted by North Carolina State University, and winners will advance to the World Congress of Soil Science International Soil Judging Contest in Nanjing, China, in June 2026.

Photo Credit: UI Soil Judging 2025_trophy

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.