Galen Ruprecht, Lane Mussard, Patrick Frazer, and Madison SengMt. Vernon FFA Chapter attended the 73rd Annual National Land & Range Judging in the Oklahoma City area from April 30th through May 2nd, 2024. Mt Vernon FFA participated with over 750 other high school students and 194 teams nationwide. Our Mt. Vernon FFA participated in the Ohio FFA state soil judging last fall to qualify for the event. Patrick Frazer, Lane Mussard, Galen Ruprecht, and Madison Seng competed in the homesite contest.Teams from various states, including Washington, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Hawaii, traveled to the event. Beyond being a contest, the NLRJ is a platform for high school students to explore a wide range of continuing education and career opportunities in the field of conservation and soil science. The event showcased the potential of these students as future leaders in conservation. The celebratory banquet featured inspiring speeches from Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Blayne Arthur, NRCS State Conservationist Jeanne Hamilton, and NRCS Chief Terry Cosby (via video address).
The Mt. Vernon FFA members competed to demonstrate their skills in judging the adaptability of the land for various purposes, including farming, range management, and home development. This competition allowed our members to apply their knowledge and skills in career fields such as environmental and range management, natural resource conservation, home building, and construction.
The Oklahoma Association of Conservation District is proud to host these exceptional young people nationwide each year. OACD is the primary host of the National Land and Range Judging Contest, which has additional sponsorship from 30 sponsors. In addition, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its employees play a significant role annually in the event's success, as does the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC).
For additional information or imagery from the event, please contact Stephanie Plumly at
(740) 393-5900 x 5674 or [email protected]