Aggie students from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture here will be putting their academic skills to the test this week at a national collegiate event.
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CURTIS, Neb. – Aggie students from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture here will be putting their academic skills to the test this week at a national collegiate event.
Students, 25 of them in all, from the two-year University of Nebraska institution are entered in 11 different academic and skills contests, and the overall general “Agriculture Knowledge Bowl” of the North American Colleges and Teachers in
Agriculture.
The NACTA contest draws nearly 600 students from 50 two- and four-year colleges across the U.S. and Canada each year. For 2018, it is hosted at Northeast Community College in Norfolk.
The NCTA Aggies are returning champions among 2-year colleges in crops judging, precision agriculture, and the knowledge bowl.
From 2017, the NCTA Aggies won the Reserve Champion Sweepstakes title among 2-year schools during the event at Kansas State University in Manhattan. The prize is based on total accumulated points.
“The NACTA Judging Conference provides our students an excellent career-based learning experience,” said Brad Ramsdale, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Agronomy and Agricultural Mechanics division. “It is great to be part of an event supported by numerous agricultural colleges and universities.”
Ramsdale is coordinating NCTA’s faculty delegation with Doug Smith, Ph.D., Animal Science and Agriculture Education division chair, and Mary Rittenhouse, chair of Agribusiness Management Systems.
A 5-member, multi-disciplinary “quiz bowl” team represents their three divisions. Winners from Thursday’s rounds advance to the Friday
night finals.
Ramsdale coordinated NCTA’s four teams in agricultural welding, precision agriculture, horticulture and crops.
Smith’s Aggie four teams are judging livestock, equine, and dairy, and in the livestock management contest.
Rittenhouse and Jeremy Sievers are NCTA’s business faculty for students comprising three teams in agribusiness, computer applications, and agricultural sales and communications.
A reception welcomes NACTA attendees to NECC and Norfolk on Wednesday evening, followed by competitions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. An evening awards banquet concludes activities on
Saturday.
