One of West Virginia University Extension Service’s 4-H teams received high marks at the Mid-America Grassland Evaluation Competition earlier this month.

The grassland judging team from Monroe County was crowned the winner of the competition on June 4 in Springfield, Missouri.

Grassland evaluation is a process of appraising present conditions in a field and making decisions to correct problems or to utilize the resource in a manner that better suits the landowner’s goals.

With grassland making up approximately two-thirds of all livestock feed, knowing the intricacies is an important part of the equation of balancing a healthy herd and productive land. The next generation is learning that lesson while collecting serious accolades for their evaluative skills and knowledge along the way.

The competition educates 4-H’ers about integrated use and management of grassland with four categories of emphasis, including soil identification, plant identification, overall grassland condition and wildlife habitat.

“The contest is not only excellent for kids interested in agriculture, but is also incredibly practical,” said Brian Wickline, an agriculture and natural resources agent for the Monroe County Extension office. “Youth gain extensive knowledge about the viability of grasslands which they can put to use immediately on their family farms, or use in the future for their own farming enterprises.”

The competition included 14 teams from five states. In addition to Monroe County earning the highest overall team score, team members Josh Dransfield and Ty Wickline respectively finished first and second with the top individual scores.

Lance Wilson, who finished sixth overall, and Thomas Willis, who finished eighth, comprised the rest of the Monroe County team. The team is coached by Wickline and 4-H Volunteer Shawn Hill.

After qualifying at the state level, the team was the first from Monroe County to head to the national competition since 2004. That year’s team also captured the national title.

“The competition was tough to prepare for, as our 4-H’ers tend to be very active in school and other activities,” said Wickline. “It was hard to coordinate practices with everybody. However, the kids were great to work with as they took initiative to study on their own, putting in around 100 hours of individual studying apiece, and it paid off in the form of a knowledgeable team that was greater than the sum of its parts.”

For more information about 4-H and youth developmental programming, visit 4-hyd.ext.wvu.edu or contact your local Extension office.

-WVU-

zl/06/25/14

CONTACT: Cassie Waugh, WVU Extension Service
304.293.8735, Cassie.Waugh@mail.wvu.edu

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