By KAYLEA BROWN, Senior Reporter
The Northwestern crop-judging team competed in the NACTA National Judging Contest on March 30 in North Platte, Nebraska.
NACTA is the North American Colleges and Teachers in Agriculture organization. In addition to competing in the contest, students also toured the Jeffrey Reservoir Unit of the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District.
This team is the first from Northwestern to be sent to this national contest.
The contest consisted of events in soil, agribusiness, ag communications, ag knowledge bowl, ag mechanics and computer applications.
There were also contests in the areas of dairy, equine, livestock, horticulture and precision agriculture.
Dr. Tracy Beedy, assistant professor of agriculture, said the national contest was one of two contests the team attended this year. The other was the southern regional meet at West Texas A&M. She said she hopes to attend more contests next year.
The crop judging team focuses on preparation in the fall so team members are ready to attend contests in the spring, Beedy said.
Nathan Lang, a sophomore agriculture education major from Canton, said he joined the team to help him in the future. He plans to be a member of the team again next year.
“I saw it as a pretty good opportunity to further learn more about agronomy,” Lang said. “I didn’t get the chance in high school, so I figured this was a good chance to do it.”
Junior Kaitlyn Elder, an agriculture education major from Salina, Kansas, also said she became a member of the team in order to benefit her students in the future because she might have to coach a crop judging team.
She said this is something she recommends other agriculture education majors consider participating in for the same reason.