Soil Judging Club

The Soil Judging at VT club was established in 2010 as a registered student organization and was recategorized (upgraded) in 2025 as a University Student Life Program, the highest category of student club at Virginia Tech. There are 15-25 active members and officers. Being on the soil judging team is not required, only an interest in learning more about soil. Club activities provide leadership experience, job skill acquisition, resume-building, classroom presentation training, job opportunity and graduate school awareness and interview opportunities in a relaxed setting, networking with other students at Tech and other universities, networking with faculty and professionals, soil judging contest trip opportunities, and experiential learning about hydrology, geology, vegetation, crops, and soils. The club meets weekly from late August to early October and again late January to late April and holds an optional texturing practice or field trip to see and describe soils once per week as well. Club activities include one or more service projects each semester, a social activity, an outdoor activity such as a hike, trips to the Virginia Association of Professional Soil Scientists organization spring and fall field days, and occasional special projects such as making a soil monolith for vineyard owners.