A total of 151 FFA members representing 34 full teams competed in the Nebraska State FFA Land Judging Contest on October 14, 2026, in Beatrice, evaluating soil structure, land capability and conservation practices.
Hampton FFA claimed the state championship, while Johnson County Central FFA placed second, Heartland FFA in third, Ansley FFA in fourth and Bishop Neumann FFA in fifth.
The top five teams from Nebraska qualify for the national competition, scheduled for May 6 in El Reno, Oklahoma.
Land judging is an FFA competition that challenges students to recognize physical soil characteristics, determine land capability for crop production and evaluate management practices needed for proper stewardship. Through soil, land and home site evaluation, students learn how regional soil and environmental conditions influence land use.
Full List of FFA Land Judging Team Results
Full List of FFA Land Judging Individual Results
The Hampton FFA Land Judging Team
Hampton FFA secured first place as a team, with Mason Wiens placing third individually, Noah Miller finishing 20th, Cason Bamesberger placed 24th, and Brayden Wolinski received 27th individually.
Wiens, is a junior who has competed in land judging since his freshman year. He said the preparation for each contest looks different with the various locations across the state.
“Every site and area is different, each location brings different soil types and different capability charts,” Wiens said. “So for the contests you just have to be prepared for anything and have an idea of what is typically around the area where the contest is held.”
Miller, also a junior, said preparing for nationals will require the team to adjust to unfamiliar soil conditions and different contest procedures.
“The biggest differences will be not having access to the capability chart at nationals and using slope classifications that differ from Nebraska’s,” Miller said.
For the Hampton team, the state championship represents years of work toward reaching the national level.
“I think it feels like a great accomplishment that we’ve had, because we’ve been working at this for a few years now,” Noah Miller said. “We’ve always just wondered, what nationals would be like? And how could we get there? This year, we had a great team to help get us to qualify as a first place team for nationals.”
The Ansley FFA Land Judging Team
Ansley FFA placed fourth overall, with Madie Loy finishing 11th individually, Caleb Myers placing 23rd, Abby Hickenbottom received 39th, and Garittee Smith placed 86th individually.
The result gives the four member team an opportunity to compete nationally, an accomplishment Myers said is especially meaningful for a school competing outside of their familiar area.
Myers said determining slope was one of his biggest challenges during preparation for state.
“Practicing at different sites was important because it helped us prepare for the varying slopes of the land, which are used to determine how much topsoil has eroded,” Myers said.
Loy, who competed in land judging for the second year, said her previous experience helped her better understand the competition and apply what she learned during preparation.
Students evaluate soil texture, permeability and the characteristics of topsoil and subsoil to determine how land should be used and whether it needs treatment.
Earlier in the year, Loy participated in range judging, similar to Land judging with more of a focused on evaluating land and vegetation.
“So land judging is looking at the soil and land characteristics that really sets the foundation of what you’re looking at in range judging,” Loy said. “Just like land judging can determine how you would use that area and range judging focuses more on the plants.”
Loy said participating in different FFA contests has helped her discover interests she might not otherwise have explored.
“FFA has taught me to push myself to go out of my comfort zone and participate in contest that have really taught me something that I never thought that I would have so much interest in,” Loy said.
Preparing for National Land Judging
The qualifying teams will continue preparing for the national competition, where students will encounter soil conditions and evaluation standards different from those in Nebraska.
Each team consists of four FFA members who compete individually, with their scores contributing to the team’s overall standing.
Johnson County FFA placed second overall, with Cooper Jones finishing 7th individually, Stefani Peters placing 25th, Tegan Topp received 29th, and Tim Johns placed 37th individually.
The Heartland FFA placed third overall, with David Hiebner finishing 16th individually, J*ger Regier placing 21st, Luke Janzen received 28th, and Waylon Tessman placed 67th individually.
Bishop Neumann FFA placed fifth overall, with Jamison Stava finishing 4th individually, Natalie Cantrall placing 13th, Josie Opp received 70th, and Connor Himmelberg placed 109th individually.
The May 6 competition in El Reno will test students knowledge of soil structure, land capability and conservation practices against FFA teams from across the country.
The Hampton FFA Land Judging Teams:
The Johnson County Central FFA Land Judging Team:
Heartland FFA Land Judging Team:
Ansley FFA Land Judging Team:
Bishop Neumann FFA Land Judging Team:
