The 2026 Region V Soil Judging Contest was hosted by Dr. Kerry Clark (University of Missouri) and Lindsey Andersen (USDA-NRCS) with cooperation and support from NRCS program participants in and around Eminence, Missouri in the Ozarks!
Because our drive to Eminence was long, we started with a Pre-Contest Day 0 at 5am to drive south to Lansing, Iowa, on Saturday, September 26th, where we spent the day with Linda and Dennis Haugen who run the Iowisota Retreat and Education Center exploring the soils and landscapes of the Iowa Paleozic Plateau.
We started with an overview of the area from Linda, who grew up on the property. We then described two soils - one Inceptisol on a backslope in colluvium, and then a Hapludalf on a summit in loess over residuum. We finished the day with a beautiful hike out to an overlook of the Mississippi River Valley before driving to Fort Madison, Iowa to sleep!
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The UMN Team ready to roll at 5am!
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The team listening to Linda Haugen at Iowisota describing Paleozoic Plateau landscape and ecology
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| A Dystrudept formed in colluvium on a steep backslope |
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A Hapludalf formed in loess over residuum (the redder material towards the bottom) on a summit ridge
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