🏆 Hands of the Master Award 

Recognizing Elite Soil Texture Identification Skills

The Hands of the Master Award is a celebrated tradition of the Soil Science Society of North Carolina Annual Meeting. This hands-on competition honors technical excellence in the foundational skill of soil texture estimation by feel.

 About the Competition

On the first day of the Annual Meeting, attendees are invited to participate in a blind texture-by-feel challenge. Competitors are presented with a set of soil samples representing various textures. Using only their hands and experience, they must classify each sample as accurately as possible.

• The individual who provides the most correct identifications wins the title of Hands of the Master for the year.

• The winner receives a plaque and is added to the Hands of the Master Hall of Fame—an ongoing recognition of skill.
  
  

This friendly but fierce competition is open to all attendees—from students to seasoned professionals.