While you might’ve never heard of them, the Penn State Soil Judging Team has been making shifts in the soil judging community for several decades.

Forming in the 1960s, Penn State’s niche group of students and faculty who study soil and environmental science have been taking their education beyond the classroom and into the world through their study of soil and land management.

Founded nearly 90 years ago, the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) hosts soil judging competitions across the United States in order to promote soil awareness for those pursuing their undergraduate degrees and work with those in the United States Department of Agriculture to take the steps to conserve America’s soil.

“It gives us a more well-rounded education and allows us to make connections with those in the field who understand the real-world impacts of soil conservation,” Red McLeod, a senior at Penn State and the president of the Soil Judging Team, said.

With under five students, Penn State has one of the smallest teams that competes. Regardless, they tied for fourth place with Idaho, Arkansas, and Tennessee at nationals in 2024.

After qualifying for nationals due to their success at their regional competition in Rhode Island, Penn State is eager to make a mark at nationals in Wisconsin this coming April.

“Professor Drohan really wants this to be an experience for us, and he wants it to be a learning experience,” McLeod said. “While other schools are graded on their performance, we come in with the approach we want to try our best and make connections.”

While it’s important for the SSSA to have young soil scientists apply what they’re learning in the classroom to the real world, the SSSA also aims to create awareness in the soil community and issues concerning the natural world such as climate change.

“We learned a lot about land positioning and about different ways to avoid things such as potential floodings,” said McLeod.

Although the five-day competition may seem intimidating, McLeod showcased how vital these competitions are to learning about the many different types of soils across the U.S. as it allows us to get a bigger picture of the agriculture industry.

“You wouldn’t think of it, but the retreating of glaciers had a direct impact on the landscape in the Midwest leading to grassland prairies and fertile soil,” said McLeod.

Due to the rapid increase in climate change, now more than ever, soil judging competitions have become a vital part of helping the USDA create soil management plans to minimize the impacts of global warming.

Through their five-day competitions, the soil judging teams have to observe the texture, color, and composition of the soil within 5-foot holes in the ground, but must compete in both individual and team competitions.

“We often delegate tasks when we go in the team competitions and then individuals you work alone,” said McLeod.

“We learn about how different types of soil determine land uses due to various features in the developmental processes of soil,” said Red.

While many people can pick a lot of different paths with their soil degrees, McLeod said being on the soil judging team is one of the most meaningful groups they’ve been a part of and has helped them build incredible connections within the soil community at Penn State and across the U.S.