The 2010 Student Participants

For the past four years, the New York State Grassland Evaluation Contest is held during the school year at the USDA Plant Materials Center in Big Flats, NY. The Contest this fall was held on Thursday, October 14, 2010. Students from as far away as the Watertown area participated in the Contest.

This contest is designed for a team of 3 or 4 high school students to test their knowledge about agricultural topics. The contest is open to FFA and 4-H students who go into a sample grassland field and use their skills and knowledge to evaluate available forage resources; make decisions on herd management balanced against resource condition; evaluate site conditions for wildlife needs; and understand the life cycle and nutrient needs of specific grass species. All of these skills are needed in managing grassland resources for a modern dairy, beef or sheep operation.

The Grassland Evaluation Contest has provided more that $3,500 in scholarships to students continuing their further education and provides an opportunity for teams to travel to compete in the Mid-America Grassland Evaluation Contest in Missouri.

At this time the future of the Grassland Contest in New York is in jeopardy. If you know of a 4-H or FFA group that may be interested in the challenge of testing their knowledge against their peers from across the State, have them contact JoAnn Kurtis, RC&D Coordinator at (716) 699-2375 x5 or by e-mail at joann.kurtis@ny.usda.gov

For a Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide, click here.