Sisters soil is a contest battleground

An army of self-described "dirt nerds" were in Sisters Country last week. The occasion was the National Intercollegiate Soil Judging Contest.

More than 130 undergraduate students from all over the country competed in the five-day event. Youths competed from such far-away places as Clemson (South Carolina), Auburn (Alabama) and Delaware Valley College (Pennsylvania). In total, 21 universities sent teams, with only one located west of the Rocky Mountains: California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Oregon State University Professor Will Austin was event coordinator. His soils students couldn't compete because of a "home-dirt" advantage. The teams must first qualify in one of nine regional competitions around the country.

The competition has taken place since the 1970s, Austin said, and last was in Oregon in the Corvallis area in 1994. This time, the decision was to take the event to Central Oregon. Six sites in the Sisters area were identified, as well as a similar number in Terrebone and Sunriver.

The teams, ranging in size from five to 11, went to all six sites in each area over a three-day period for practice sessions. A competition for individuals took place on Friday, and for the teams on Saturday. The locations were not revealed until the day of the event.

Austin said private property owners were very supportive of the event. Oklahoma State University Professor Brian Carter drove his team from Stillwater in 30 hours. He said his students are taking time off from school, but must pass their other classes, despite the absences.

Carter said many of his students already have jobs waiting for them because of the demand for the soils specialty. Employment opportunities include government agencies, private industry and consulting firms.

Austin added that soils students that compete in the national and regional contests are "field-trained," saving employers time and money.

They "learn by doing," he said, with one week at the contest equaling one or two terms of college. The students perform a hand excavation and evaluate the soil based on a complex matrix of factors, including color, texture, moistness, rooting depth and water retention.

For example, the Oklahoma State students, at the Eagle Air Estates abandoned gravel pit, found the soils to be heavily influenced by volcanic ash and river impacts. The winning team gets to keep a traveling trophy for a year. There are six awards for individuals and teams, with future employment probably the top prize.

"If you win, you are recognized," Austin said.