Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition Making a Difference - Colfax County Earns Second Place
Nebraska Extension strives to recruit the next generation of agronomy professionals by annually conducting the Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition. On August 5, 2025, held at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center, four teams were able to talk with Extension staff and scout field plots at the Research Center. This competition is a great experience for those wanting to work in many different fields of agriculture. This competition provides a fun competitive environment where teams can receive hands on learning about all aspects of crop scouting.
Receiving first place and a cash prize of $500 was Arlington FFA Chapter, team #1 with Aaron Fuchs, Wes Monke, Luke Sharp, and Ethan Hilgenkamp. Kali Agler served as their coach. In second place and receiving $250 was the Colfax County 4-H team consisting of Justin Eisenmann, Josh Eisenmann, Callen Jedlicka, Cody Jedlicka, & Daphne Jedlicka with Steve Nelson, Korbin Kudera, Justin Zoucha, and Logan Nelson serving as their coaches. Third place and receiving $100 was Johnson County 4-H consisting of Wesley Schmid, Cameron Werner, Sophia Schmid, and Levis Othmer with Jon Schmid as their coach. Also participating was Arlington FFA team #2 with Grant Monke, Logan Hilgenkamp and Brody Stark.
The Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition is a recent national winner of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Excellence in 4-H & Youth Programming award. The competition promotes youth engagement and career development while strengthening connections between students and the agricultural industry. A 2024 long-term evaluation revealed that over 80% of participants gained valuable career insights, improved their pest identification skills, and expressed increased confidence in agricultural practices. Furthermore, 27 former participants reported a heightened interest in agricultural careers and enrolling in programs at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL).
Feedback from coaches and mentors highlights the program’s lasting impact. One coach shared, “This has been a great learning opportunity for students. They’ve developed relationships with industries in our community that helped us succeed and develop real-world skills. Three students secured jobs through the relationships they built, and two obtained summer jobs.” This testimony underscores how the program creates meaningful industry connections and real career pathways for students.
A regional competition will be held among Nebraska, Iowa, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, & Minnesota teams hosted by Iowa State Extension on September 13, 2025. Participants from Colfax County 4-H and Arlington FFA will represent Nebraska this year.
The 2025 Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition was sponsored by the Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association and the Nebraska Soybean Board in collaboration with Nebraska Extension.
For more information on the Youth Crop Scouting Competition, contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu or go to https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth.