Why should we take good care of our soils? That’s the question area third graders answered with a poster contest this past week. Education Specialist Suzi Mersmann visited third grade classrooms and presented a soils lesson and the details of the annual contest which is sponsored by the county Soil and Water Conservation District. Students learned that keeping soil healthy and in place is very important because soil is the foundation of our lives. Soil grows our food, and supports our structures. Apple afterschool program students agreed that healthy soil grows healthy food. Posters were judged, and ribbons were given to all participants. Small cash awards were earned by first, second, and third place winners. The first place posters from each classroom will move forward in the competition to the next level. Covington County students have won at the state level several times in past years.