The UMC Advantage
“Agriculture is here…right here in the valley. Farming today is ten percent of agriculture,” says Dave Dufault, area sales manager for J.R. Simplot Soilbuilders. “Agriculture includes many additional areas: fertilizer, chemicals, land and livestock, food and fiber, and of course turf or horticulture,” says Dufault.
Dufault, an alumnus of the University of Minnesota , Crookston (UMC) and currently Simplot sales manager based out of East Grand Forks, along with J.R. Simplot crop advisors and fellow UMC alumni, Trent Johnson, Scott Cameron, and Chris Hoff stepped back on the campus in early Marchto speak with current agronomy students.
Dufault and Johnson emphasized the opportunities available in agronomy and agriculture in general. “The world is your office, travel is great, and you are not confined to a cubicle,” Johnson told the class. He went on to explain to students that the field of agronomy is vast and growing. “The personal contact I have daily and quarterly with my clients,” he said, “well, it includes personal contact. It isn't a typical nine-to-five working environment.”
Johnson, a crop advisor, consults with area farmers and scientists on his staff to deliver information to his clients about products, application procedures, and yield information. “I never face the same challenge twice, and if I think I have an obstacle totally figured out, well, I am in trouble,” Johnson told students.
Everyone knows your name
Small class sizes, one-on-one instruction, and the personal touch are hallmarks of UMC. “It's like being at Cheers—everyone knows your name,” says Hoff. “It was really hard to not be known at UMC. At other institutions you may be a number. I graduated in 1999, and when we were on campus [to speak to the class] everyone still remembered me and greeted me by my first name. You just don't get that at a larger institution.”
Johnson went on to add that the agronomy faculty at UMC ofen went out of their way to ensure their students understood concepts. “Professors Marv Mattson and Chuck Habstritt saw you through, made sure you understood what was taking place in classes and labs.”
Scott Cameron, 1997 agronomy alum, mentioned that the technology experience at UMC is a nice advantage. He says, “I interned and worked at another company prior to coming to J.R. Simplot, and the technology and applied knowledge of agronomy and agriculture gave me the extra edge when landing my current position.”
Learning by doing
Dufalt, Hoff, Cameron, and Johnson all agreed that UMC is committed to agriculture. Many people haven't a clue about agriculture in general. They agreed that agriculture was more than the land and animals or “plows and cows.” Many programs fall under the umbrella of agriculture. “It is our job to educate students about agriculture,” says Marv Mattson, Ph.D., associate professor of agronomy at UMC. “Many of these opportunities in agriculture go unnoticed. In fact, one of the reasons I wanted these four gentlemen to come back and visit the current students was to alert them of the jobs, challenges, and successes they can look forward to in the area of agriculture. Our commitment to ag is strong, whether that involves aviation, natural resources, or golf and turf programs, and, of course, agronomy.”
According to Hoff, faculty and staff encourage students to try different classes, “UMC gave me the hands-on experience needed to succeed in my current position.” Dufault encouraged students to get out there and experience what they were learning. Johnson advised students to “talk to people, intern, and if you can come out of UMC with several seasons (summers) of an internship or employment in the field, you are sure to succeed.
Cameron related his own personal story, “I started at UMC with the intent of becoming a crop duster, and once I started the internship I realized I hated it. That was okay, because it gave me the chance to see what other opportunities were available.” Cameron left the aviation program and moved into agronomy very easily, and he is happy regarding his decision.
Dave Dufault, J.R. Simplot Company area sales manager, graduated in agriculture business management in 1985; Scott Cameron, J.R. Simplot crop advisor graduated in agronomy in 1997; Trent Johnson, J.R. Simplot crop advisor, graduated in agriculture in 1995; and Chris Hoff, J.R. Simplot Crop Advisor, graduated in agronomy in 1999. All of them are pleased with the education and experience they received at the University of Minnesota , Crookston.
Marv Mattson, Ph.D., (left) is pictured with his former students Dave Dufault '85, Scott Cameron '97; Trent Johnson '95, and Chris Hoff '99.
Editor's Note: Thanks to Michelle Christopherson for her work with this feature
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