Hays High’s FFA will be one of four Kansas schools to represent Kansas at the National Land and Homesite Career Development Event in Oklahoma City, Okla. in early May.

Land judging is a competition where students observe qualities of land or soil such as surface and subsurface texture, depth of soil, slope, erosion, permeability and surface runoff.

This skill proves useful when looking for the perfect land to build a house or plant crops.

“We dig a hole in the ground,” Agriculture instructor and FFA advisor Curt Vajnar said. “They look at the soil and mark the paper to determine what class it is.”

Fifty-nine students participated in the senior team event, six of which were on the Hays team.

“Half of the schools didn’t show up,” Vajnar said. “They knew they would get beat.”

The team competing in the National Event consists of Zoe Buffington, Colton Vajnar, Ashton Ottley; and Jordan Hunsicker.

“I only teach this to juniors,” Vajnar said. “They have to be in Horticulture or Crops and Soils class.”

Vajnar said the national team will practice 10 to 12 times together and even more on their own. The day before the competition is also completely practice.

“This national team, they all practice hard,” Vajnar said. “We will be good.”

21kboyle@usd489.com