Mount Vernon FFA teams qualify for state soils contest

Urban and Rural Soils teams place third and fifth at district event in Rushville; three members finish in top 10

Izzy Barron, left, Phoebe Mussard, Calleigh Armstrong, Colton Stagg and Simon Ruprecht, members of the Mount Vernon FFA Urban Soils team, finished third in the district soils CDE recently.

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Published October 13, 2025 - 2:16 p.m. Modified November 19, 2025 - 9:38 a.m.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, Mount Vernon FFA members competed in the District Soils Career Development Event held in Rushville.

The contest brought together top teams from across the region to test their knowledge and skills in evaluating soil properties and making informed land-use decisions.

Madison Seng, left, McKenzie Herdman, Ryan Fletcher, Charles Page and Zachary Busenberg are members of the Mount Vernon FFA Rural Soils team that finished fifth.

Mount Vernon FFA continued its success from the county level, with both teams earning district recognition and qualifying for the state contest: Urban Soils Team – third place; Rural/Agricultural Soils Team – fifth place.

Individually, several Mount Vernon members placed among the top competitors in the district: Third – Izzy Barron; sixth – Madison Seng; 10th – Phoebe Mussard.

“The district contest is always a big step up in competition, and I’m proud of how our students represented Mount Vernon,” said Stephanie Plumly, FFA advisor. “Qualifying both teams for state is a huge accomplishment.”Both Mount Vernon teams will now advance to the State Soils Contest on Oct. 11.