The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Crops Team participated in the National Association of College Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) crops contest, held April 9-12 at West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas. The event welcomed 100 students from 14 universities. The UW-Platteville team achieved an impressive seventh-place finish in the overall rankings of the NACTA Judging Conference.
The NACTA Judging Conference consists of four segments: an agronomic quiz, a math practical, a lab practical and identification of crops, weeds and seeds. To prepare, students participate in two two-hour practice sessions each week, beginning in the first week of the semester, to master the skills needed for accurate identification and evaluation.
Team members include: Tyce Bettenhausen, a freshman from Cambridge, Wisconsin; Rachel Edwards, a sophomore from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin; Marissa Folkers, a sophomore from Morrison, Illinois; Anna Hagemann, a senior from Monroe Center, Illinois; Katie Kelly, a senior from Monroe, Wisconsin; Anna Koehler, a junior from Jefferson, Wisconsin; Jack Lichte, a junior from Baraboo, Wisconsin; Leah Phillips, a junior from Maribel, Wisconsin; Sydney Rider, a junior from Sauk City, Wisconsin and Bryanna Smith, a sophomore from Oakfield, Wisconsin.
Financial support for team travel was provided by the Doug and Jean Buhler Undergraduate Travel Impact Grant, along with generous contributions from alumni and friends to the UW-Platteville Foundation’s Soil and Crop Teams Endowment Fund and the Wisconsin Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Board.
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Crops Team is under the guidance of Dawn Lee, supervisor of Pioneer Greenhouse and Gardens and lecturer in the School of Agriculture. For more information, contact Dawn Lee at leedaw@uwplatt.edu.