Agronomy Incentive Partners Update
SPRING 2017
Agronomy Incentive Partner Summer Picnic Planning for the 2017 Summer Ag Academy has begun. If you are interested in participating in the event by providing a classroom or in-field topic, please contact Lindsey Novak. This year, the Summer Ag Academy will include an Agronomy Incentive Partner picnic. This will give the agronomy incentive partners and students an opportunity to visit with each other. The picnic will be held in the early evening Wednesday, July 12. A $25 nonrefundable registration fee will be implemented this year as well. The goal is to encourage all registered youth to attend. In the past, approximately half of the registered actually attended. The registration fee will be put toward dorm fees. The Summer Ag Academy has proven to be a very successful recruiting tool both for the BSC ATNR program and for the Agronomy Incentive Partners looking for future employees. Advertising materials will be sent out to partners to post in the surrounding towns and schools. Marko Davinic will be conducting school visits this summer south and west of Highway 200. For more information, contact Marko at 701-224-5409 or marko.davinic@bismarckstate.edu.
2017 Summer Interns The 2017 Summer Internship season has begun! This season, 35 Agriculture, Industry and Technology students as well as Agriculture Business students will be heading out to the field. Of those, eight students will be interning at an Agronomy Incentive Partner location. The students look forward to enhancing their education through hands-on work. The many hours spent in class and studying will now be applied to real life. Good luck interns! The faculty is looking forward to on-site visits with the interns and their managers.
BSC AGRONOMY CLUB An important part of a student’s college experience is participation in professional and social activities outside of the classroom. It is a student’s responsibility to make choices which help him or her build a network of key individuals, many of whom will be important professional contacts after graduation from Bismarck State College. WHO WE ARE The BSC Agronomy Club consists of student members from all backgrounds, majors, and interests. While coming from many different aspects, we all come together to share our concerns for crop, animal, soil, and water management/ conservation in relation to agronomy, ag business and farm and ranch management through the BSC Agronomy Club. WHAT WE DO We are a very active club, with 28 registered members, and our bimonthly meetings are composed of business matters, and various social activities. The 2017 business matters included items such as planning for our new ag club logo and fashioning club apparel, helping promote ag sciences programs by attending and assisting in organizing career symposiums, soil health workshops and local ag-related conferences. In the future, BSC Ag Club will be visiting local elementary schools to promote ag science among young students, and planning state and national trips to visit and learn about various agricultural practices. In addition, we will have many representatives from potential employers visit our club meetings and speak with us on resume, interviewing and overall career preparation.
2017 ATNR Student of the Year Every year, faculty from the Agriculture, Technology and Natural Resources program are asked to choose a student of the year from each of the three program areas. The criteria for selection is based upon superior grade point average and participation in extracurricular activities. This year the faculty have selected, Paige Fisher - Agriculture, Industry and Technology; Chase Jacobson - Farm and Ranch Management; and Serena Fredrick - Agriculture, Technology and Natural Resources Transfer. Congratulations from everyone in the ATNR program! PAIGE FISHER Hometown: Mandan, N.D. Family Background: We have a farm and ranch near St. Anthony, ND. We raise corn, wheat, sunflowers, and soybeans. We also have about 100 head of cattle. Favorite Subject Area: Scouting and business management. Future Plans: My plan is to be PAIGE FISHER a business manager at a local chiropractic office. But my overall goal is to become a business manager at an agribusiness or a local agronomy center.
CHASE JACOBSON Hometown: Noonan, N.D. Family Background: Farming and ranching Favorite Subject: Weeds and Economics Extracurricular: Ag club vice president, hockey ref, volunteer at the fair, North Dakota Stockmen’s Association CHASE JACOBSON member, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association member, ranch rodeos, hunting and mostly hanging out with the girls (cattle). Future plans: I plan to go home to the ranch, where I am the fifth generation of Jacobsons. I have my own herd running with my parents’ and I would like to grow my herd. I would like to improve the genetics of my herd with the selection of high quality bulls and stiffer culling of replacement heifers. I would also like to improve the land that I am able to use with a pasture grazing program, cover crops, and converting crop land into pasture and hay land.
SERENA FREDRICK Hometown: Flasher, N.D. Family Background: Grew up on a farm and ranch near Flasher with my parents, Wes and Janelle, and younger brothers, Hunter and Landon, where we raise Red Angus and Shorthorn cattle and row crops. Favorite Subject Area: I really enjoy Feeds and Feeding, learning animal nutrition and science. SERENA FREDRICK Extracurricular activity/ community involvement: I was in 4-H throughout high school and I am still involved in our group helping the kids with projects and showing. I have been doing intramural volleyball through college, and basketball occasionally. I also will be again helping my local extension agent with an Intro to Agronomy class this summer.
Plans for the Future: I am going on to school for two more years majoring in Agriculture Econ and Animal Science, probably at NDSU. After college, I would like to find a job either as an extension agent or an animal nutritionist, or possibly an ag lender. I also want to move back close to home and work with my parents on our farm and ranch and incorporate what I’ve learned into bettering our operation.
SUMMER
AG ACADEMY JULY 12-13, 2017 PRE-REGISTRATION DUE JUNE 19
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Learn about careers in agriculture
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Participate in hands-on agronomy and precision agriculture sessions
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Participation preference given to high school sophomores, juniors or seniors as of Fall 2017
CRT-010-0317
Register online at bismarckstate.edu/agacademy or call 701-224-2617. Space is limited.
Mark Holkup to Retire Mark Holkup is slated to retire this June after teaching the Adult Management Program at BSC since 1991. As an Agriculture Education graduate MARK HOLKUP of NDSU, Holkup started his career teaching high school agriculture education. He also worked for Farm Business Management in Minnesota, the Farmer’s Home Administration during the difficult farming years in the late 80’s, and with his brother on the family farm until 2010. Holkup was active with agriculture organizations on a national and local level. He served a three-year term as President Elect, President and Past President of the National Farm and Ranch Business Management Education Association, and for the past 29 years has served as chair of the board for the Wilton Farmers Union. His expertise in financial management is highly respected in this region. Steve and Katie Heger, farmers from Underwood and clients of Mark’s have this to say about his program: “We can’t control the weather or the markets, but we can reduce their effects with proper risk management by knowing the details of our financial circumstances and how a myriad of decisions will impact our farm business. We get this insight from Mark and the Adult Farm Management Program.” The largest program of its type in N.D., Adult Farm Management Program helps farmers organize their farm record keeping system and then utilize the numbers to understand what is happening financially. BSC is currently seeking a replacement for Holkup.
THANK YOU TO OUR AGRONOMY INCENTIVE PARTNERS
bismarckstate.edu For more information, contact one of our advisors.
CRT-009-0417
LINDSEY NOVAK
TYLER SCHAU
Agriculture, Industry and Technology
Agribusiness and Farm and Ranch
224-2628
224-2542