What will agronomy look like five or ten years from now? Will drones and automation have replaced agronomists and field walks? There’s no denying that technology definitely plays a larger role in his job than it used to, says Shane Thomas, agronomist with Yara Canada. From field mapping software, to variable rate capabilities, NDVI readings,… Read More
Category: Agronomy Geeks
For anyone that’s ever done an agriculture diploma or degree, there’s likely a course that elicited groans when you’d see it on the schedule. For some it’s likely communications, for others maybe statistics, but for many it’s soil science. That was the case for Marla Riekman, which is ironic, given that she now serves as… Read More
How do you know when it’s time to set up shop on your own? And in this day and age of rapidly evolving precision agriculture and technology, how does a boots-on-the-ground agronomist carve her niche? Deb Campbell has addressed both those tough topics — the first, in 2012, after a few almosts and could-have-beens, and… Read More
Give a boy a burdock plant, and he’ll be irritated for a day. Teach a boy to kill said burdock plant, and he just may go on to be a provincial weed control specialist. At least, that’s the path that Clark Brenzil, weed specialist for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, took. In this episode of… Read More
If you think you’ve got a challenging territory to cover, have you considered being an agronomist in several provinces, nearly 2,000 kilometres apart? That’s what Steph Kowalski, agronomy lead for the Agromart Group, tackles season in and season out as she covers not only Ontario, but much of the Atlantic provinces, as well. Long-distance agronomy… Read More
Some people are bean counters, but Scott Meers chose instead to be a bug counter. Now, let’s start off by saying that Meers, insect management specialist for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, absolutely knows that not all insects are bugs. But when it comes to extension and making insect management accessible, Meers knows full well that… Read More
There are so many different roles in the farming and agriculture industry, it’s rare to find someone who ended up in exactly the job they always thought they’d have. More often than not, a string of opportunities is presented to a person with talents and interests and the wherewithal to pursue them, and — boom… Read More
It’s not often that we hear about first-generation farmers. It’s also rare to hear about someone picking up and moving provinces to begin to farm, but that’s what Steve Larocque did, moving from near Greely, Ontario, to eventually farm at Three Hills, Alberta. Larocque isn’t just any grain farmer, either. Admittedly, he’s small scale and… Read More
If ever you’ve tried to communicate something you’ve learned or something you’ve experienced, you may have realized quickly that being an engaging communicator is actually quite difficult. Some are born with a talent for riveting storytelling, others work diligently to learn new ways to capture the audiences’ attention. And some, like Peter Johnson, are an… Read More