UW Platteville Soils Team

10/22/2026

Individual contest day!

10/21/2026

The Region 3 Soils contest is Oct 20-24 in Coshocton Ang Muskingum counties, OH. Enjoying the beautiful weather and rocky soils!

10/12/2026

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for some of our Soils team alums!

First, Nicole Plenty and Isaac Nollen were wed on October 3, in a beautiful ceremony that contained more than its share of soil references. Several former soil judgers were in attendance and it just goes to show how soil judging often leads to lifetime friendships (and sometimes love😉).

Then, on homecoming weekend, Brandon Hall was honored as the 2026 outstanding alumni. His success as an agronomy professional and dedication to teaching young people and farmers about soils makes this recognition well deserved!

It is always great to catch up with our former judgers and hear about the great things you all are accomplishing!

07/24/2026

Soils Team Alum and Friends, Please see the message below from Dr. Higgs Regarding the annual Golf Outing event at Apple Canyon lake. Please email Dr. Higgs directly at [email protected] if you plan to attend. I hope to see many of you there!

Greetings UW-P Soils & Crops Alums and Friends:

You are cordially invited to the annual Soils & Crops alumni golf outing, meal and auction on Friday, September 11th at Apple Canyon Lake in northwest Illinois. Golf (“best ball”) starts at 2:30 with the meal at 5:00. Golf is $16.00 and food is $9.00 per person. Participants are encouraged to bring items for an auction. The auction proceeds go to the teams and Soil & Crop Science Scholarships.

Let me know if you plan to golf and/or join us for the meal. This is a fun event, so you do not need to be a pro-golfer. You are encouraged to put together a foursome or group for golf. (You need not golf, either.)

06/29/2026

06/12/2026

Way to go Abby Wadzinski!

🌱 Please Help Us Welcome Our New Ag Outreach Specialist! 🌱

We are excited to introduce Abby Wadzinski as the newest member of the Columbia County Land & Water Conservation Department! Abby brings an impressive blend of agricultural experience, conservation knowledge, and community‑centered passion to our team. We are excited to have her on board and look forward to the expertise, energy, and fresh perspective she will bring to our programs and outreach efforts.

"Hi Everyone, my name is Abby Wadzinski, and I am very excited to be your new Ag Outreach Specialist! A Wisconsin native, I grew up on a small dairy farm in Sauk County and am very passionate about local agriculture and conservation. I am very thankful for my upbringing in this community and for the support I received as a fair kid, 4‑H member, and eventual FFA officer.

I graduated from UW–Platteville in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Soil and Crop Science and Agricultural Business. While in school, I held a couple of crop‑scouting internships as well as a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Pathways soil science internship. My favorite part of school was participating on the soils judging team, where I got my hands dirty and described unique soils from across the Midwest.

After graduation, I had the opportunity to spread my wings and moved to Olympia, WA, where I worked for NRCS as a soil scientist. There, I gained valuable experience in initial soil mapping, wetlands, and outreach, and I am always excited to talk about soil health and soil properties. My claim to fame from my time there is being one of the crew members who completed the soil survey of Olympic National Park.

In early 2025, my husband and I decided it was time to move home and enjoy family time again. After the big move, I joined Dane County as a Conservation Specialist LTE and worked on a variety of projects, including well sampling for nitrate, Dane Demo Farm sampling, Farmland Preservation, and nutrient management.

In my new role as Ag Outreach Specialist, I am looking forward to supporting the community of Columbia County and using my expertise and resources to answer your questions. If you have an ag‑related question or need, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to meeting you!"

06/08/2026

Way to go teams USA and Jake Scheckel from UW-Platteville!

06/08/2026

This is coming a little late but wanted to congratulate two amazing soil judgers on their recent graduation, Cora Brooks and Luke Van Donsel. Special congrats to Cora for being
Named the Spring 2026 co-valedictorian!Thanks for all your hard work and great memories!

06/07/2026

04/26/2026

Couldn’t be prouder of these amazing Pioneers that dominated the NACTA Soils Contest! Andrea Noll placed first, Jake Scheckel second and Luke Van Donsel placed fourth out of 91 students from fifteen universities.