Ag Newsletter

Agronomy Incentive Partners Update

FALL 2016

2016 Summer Internship Review

2016 Summer Ag Academy

The 2016 summer internship season was a great success. Eight students interned at different Agronomy Incentive Partner locations, and BSC agriculture faculty received positive evaluations from the supervising managers.

Highly valued and promoted by the ag faculty, the internships provide excellent learning opportunities in a wide range of topics to students.

According to the students’ self-assessments, their challenges went beyond weed identification and fertilizing blending. Communicating with customers and coworkers were some of the most common responses. When asked how the internships will affect their futures, all of the students indicated that their experiences confirmed that agriculture was the right career choice for them.

S A V E

T H E

D A T E

ROUND TABLE

The 2016 Summer Ag Academy was held this year during the second week of July, with a total of 17 high school participants.

The in-field portion of the program focused on scouting techniques and soils. A full day was spent at the Burleigh County Soil Conservation Menoken Farm. Agronomy Incentive Partner participants included Steve Ibach and Rio Rindy, both from United Agronomy. Ibach provided a lesson on calculating crop stand counts as well as corn staging. Rindy had the students scout a field, pull any suspicious plant material, then identify the material and discuss as a group.

NRCS presenters included Jay Fuhrer, Conservationist and Hal Weiser, Soil Health Specialist. Fuhrer conducted a lesson on soil and plant health relationships while Weiser discussed the soil forming factors of North Dakota and used a soil pit to show soil horizons and textures.

FRIDAY, OCT. 21 9 A.M.-5 P.M.

The day two focus was on precision agriculture and careers in agriculture. Brent Horner, RDO Precision Product Specialist, gave students hands-on experience looking at precision monitors. The topic was further demonstrated when Paul Overby of Farm Works, continued on next page

Kleven moves on We wish to thank Craig Kleven for his 11 years of dedication to the Agriculture, Technology and Natural Resources (ATNR) Department at BSC. Craig has begun a position with Central Dakota Frontier Coop as Agronomy Manager.

We are sad to see Craig leave, but very happy he is with an Agronomy Incentive Partner location. We are sure Craig will continue to be an advocate of the program and a voice for student’s needs.

We look forward to seeing him on the summer internship visits!

Craig was probably most enthusiastic about teaching “Weed” Science classes and had many students comment on how important that class was to their internship and future jobs. He was a tough teacher who really wanted the students to excel in the area of Plant Science.

As the advisory to the Post- Secondary Student Organization (PAS) on campus, Craig was dedicated to students getting involved in leadership activities. He also served a term on the national PAS board. Sadly, our department is currently discussing the future of this club, as we’ve lost the state support for PAS. Craig’s dedication to the profession of agriculture education was evident through his career, but especially with the North Dakota Association of Agriculture Educators when he served as vice president, president and past president. Previous to BSC, he served as a county extension agent and high school agriculture teacher.

On campus, Craig was active in several committees. His involvement on campus led to his being nominated to “40 Under 40” (North Dakota’s Top 40 Professionals Under Age 40) in 2014. He also was part of the team that won the ND CTE Directors Award of Excellence for Agriculture Education in 2012.

We’re scrambling this fall to work without Craig, but the faculty and students in the BSC ATNR Department sincerely wish him the best of luck!

continued from cover discussed the Farm Works program and VRA zone management services using SatShot 3D Imagery. Students became familiar with the different types of careers in agriculture by participating in an Ag Careers Round Table. This event was very similar to the round table we have in the fall, however, the discussion was focused on the career type and education required. Careers represented included agronomist, precision agronomist, crop insurance adjuster and loan officer.

Nearly all the students indicated that the Summer Ag Academy helped them become more interested in a career in agriculture.

One student said, “It made me more interested because I got to see some of the things I could learn if I had a career in agronomy.”

Other students mentioned they were happy they learned more about what agronomist do, types of technology farmers use and that agronomy as a lot to offer.

Thank you again Agronomy Incentive Partners for making this event possible!

New Faces in ATNR program The BSC Agriculture Technology and Natural Resource program welcomes two new employees, Marko Davinic, Assistant Professor and Scott Grandi-Hill, Lab Coordinator.

MARKO DAVINIC

Marko graduated from Northwestern State University with a B.Sc. in biology in 2004. Later he received a M.Sc. in microbiology at the Texas Tech University, where he investigated genetic regulation of Exotoxin A production by (human and plant) pathogen bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). At the same institution, Marko received a Ph.D. in plant and soil science, where he evaluated a long term impact of integrated crop-livestock agroeco systems on soil microbial community.

Between his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees Marko also obtained an MBA diploma that focused on finance and business statistic.

Although born and raised in an urban environment in Serbia (EU), Marko has been captivated by the complexity of plant/microbe interactions in soils since SCOTT GRANDI-HILL early childhood. Moderately obsessed Photos by Jason Lueder with science, he tends to spend most of his free time in the lab, either playing with current analytical methods, developing new procedures or coming up with new ways of using old procedures. Marko has a passion for microorganisms and enjoys growing rare and useful bacteria and fungi (especially edible kinds) as a hobby.

When not in a lab, as an ex-collegiate athlete, Marko enjoys being physically active, typically weight lifting, swimming or attending judo practice.

Scott Grandi-Hill grew up in San Jose, Calif. and attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. He earned his B.S. in Soil Science, with a concentration in Environmental Science and Technology. Scott’s main areas of study include soil and water chemistry, erosion and sediment control, and soil morphology.

After earning his degree, Scott ran a small research greenhouse investigating the effects of erosion control techniques with simulated rainfall on runoff water quality.

Scott moved to Bismarck with his fiancée (a Bismarck native), and after a short adventure as the chef at a fine dining restaurant, he is happy to get back into agriculture and education at BSC. When Scott isn’t working in the labs or greenhouse, he can be found working in his garden, cooking up a meal, or taking his dog for a walk.

The ATNR program is very excited to have these two on board! Their ideas, expertise and enthusiasm they bring will definitely benefit our students.

Hixon named Dean of Current & Emerging Technologies Carla Hixson has been named Dean of Current & Emerging Technologies, a new role at Bismarck State College.

The role was created to accommodate growth and emerging opportunities in key educational areas. Hixson will oversee BSC’s Transportation & Construction, Computers, Medical Arts & Emergency Service and Career and Technology program areas, which includes the Agriculture, Technology and Natural Resources program.

Carla will be highly involved in outreach activities of meeting and greeting industry members, like the Agronomy Incentive Partners. Carla will soon become involved in our Round Table and Summer Ag Academy activities.

Knudson named interim executive director of the BSC Foundation Kari Knudson has been named interim executive director of the BSC Foundation.

Knudson takes over from Gordon Binek, who retired in January after 19 years. Kari is our point of contact for the Agronomy Incentive Partner pledge fund.

THANK YOU TO OUR AGRONOMY INCENTIVE PARTNERS

bismarckstate.edu For more information, contact one of our advisors.

CRT-009-0916

LINDSEY NOVAK

TYLER SCHAU

Agriculture, Industry and Technology

Agribusiness and Farm and Ranch

224-2628

224-2542