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Many crop farmers in northwest Iowa might say if you opened up the dictionary to the definition of “Extension field agronomist” you’d see a photo of Joel De Jong.
Joel De Jong just marked his 40th anniversary of working for the Iowa State University Extension Service. “Forty years is a long time, but it doesn’t seem like 40 years. You know, we all have good days and bad days, but the good ones far outnumbere the bad ones,” he said.
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Until he was a sophomore in high school, Joel grew up on a diversified farm about three miles east of Maurice. The De Jong farm had a little bit of everything … a few dairy cows, a few sows, and occasionally some cattle to feed; plus corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats. “My dad was older when I was born, as was my mother. I was the youngest of six kids and I was 20 years younger than my oldest brother, and even seven years younger than my youngest brother.” His parents sold the farm and retired while he was in high school. All of his older siblings were already off the farm, his oldest brother as a pastor, the other siblings as teachers. “If I wanted to stay in agriculture, I was going to have to find my own niche and that’s what I did.”
Joel graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in ag business. He did a short-term internship at a bank and figured out he didn’t want to be an ag lender. After graduation, he went to work for Farmers Hybrid, but sales wasn’t his calling either. A friend encouraged him to apply for a position in the Extension Service. He landed the director position at Adair County in southwest Iowa in 1981. He was there about three years, but wanted to be closer to home when his dad’s health began to fail. The family moved to Sergeant Bluff and Joel went to work at ISU’s Woodbury County Extension office. While he was located in Woodbury County, the Extension Service was reorganized in 1992. “That was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was the director in Woodbury County, managing a fairly large staff. I wasn’t finding great joy in managing staff. The reorganization gave me the chance to move into a field agronomist position. That was a way better fit.” The De Jong family re-located to Le Mars and Joel re-located to the Plymouth County Extension office. He is the Extension field agronomist for nine counties in northwest Iowa: Cherokee, Ida, Lyon, Monona, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux and Woodbury. “It’s been amazing to have the ability to interact with some of the best researchers in Iowa and the country; and even, on occasion, international experts.” As a field agronomist, he brings research-based knowledge and information about crop management to area farmers.
The license plate on Joel De Jong’s pickup.
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