Barbour County 4-H Soils Team Prep For Nationals

In less than a month, four Barbour County 4-H members will again represent Barbour County and West Virginia at the 2024 National Land and Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This will make the 25th team from Barbour County to attend the national contest. Barbour County has earned 18 National Championships and 8 National Reserve Championships. The Barbour County program holds the record for being the only 4-H program for two, three, and four consecutive national titles.

The 2024 team is made up of Hunter Townsend, Hailey Findley, Griffin Hart, and Hannah Nutter. The team has been practicing since November 2023 and by the conclusion of the contest in early May, the team will have over 400 hours of practice time. “This contest takes a good bit of knowledge of soil properties and how they impact agriculture and homesite decisions. Making this contest very applicable to these kids, they may not know it now – but these skills will benefit them in their adult lives.”, stated WVU Extension Agent and coach, Jody Carpenter.

“We all know how important soil drainage, texture and depth to bedrock are not only for farming but especially when building a house. How is soil texture going to limit you putting in a basement or septic system? Well, these kids are learning those aspects,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter said, “A trip across country is very costly, and we try not to make it costly on the families. We have amazing support in this county! Individuals and businesses help us with trip costs, providing us with farms to practice on and even meals at some practices. This program has seen support in all kinds of ways through the years and that has helped us be successful.”

The team, coach, and chaperones will embark on their journey on April 25, with the first tour being the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. Other stops for the trips, both out and back, include the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial and Museum, Stockyard City (an economical pinnacle in the livestock world), Oral Roberts University, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Mammoth Caves.