When Avery Watson learned about an opportunity for students to collaborate with Nutrien Ag Solutions, the Union FFA member from Illinois was all ears.
“Representatives from Nutrien Ag Solutions asked if any ag students wanted to use a plot of [Nutrien Ag Solutions] land for research,” Watson says. “They’re really invested in getting high school students involved at their innovation farm.”
Avery Watson’s agriscience research project explored emergence and planting depths.
After discussing her options with Thaddeus Bates, senior manager of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Innovation Farm in Champaign, Ill., she decided she wanted her research to focus on the advancements of equipment technology. Through her research, Watson is discovering the differences between modern and vintage planting equipment.
“I talked it over with my dad, and we decided I would use a plot of the innovation farm’s land alongside a plot at our farm to conduct my research project,” she says.
Watson grew up on a family farm, so she knew about the planting process. However, conducting research on emergence and planting depths has strengthened her knowledge and interest in the industry.
“I love researching and knowing what I’m doing relates back to my family and our farm,” Watson adds. “Nutrien Ag Solutions team members have been accommodating of my project’s needs. They let us borrow one of their planters, and there’s always someone around to lend a hand when we need assistance.”
Building Interest in Ag
Investing in innovation is one of Nutrien Ag Solutions’ core principles, and its partnership with FFA chapters such as Union FFA is one of the ways it fulfills this mission.
“It’s a passion for us to bring out students and help build renewed interest in agriculture,” Bates says. “We have to find different ways to encourage students to look at ag as an exciting career choice. There are opportunities for anyone who has an interest to find their role in the industry. You name it, and this industry has it.”
Watson credits her time on the innovation farm to kick-starting a passion for research and helping others in her chapter gain valuable experiences.
“You can’t be afraid of what you don’t know,” she says. “In the beginning, there was so much I felt like I didn’t know. Being able to experience things alongside Nutrien Ag Solutions team members made me more confident. Just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean you can’t learn.”
Grow With Grant Funding
Could your chapter use funding for a plant science-based project? FFA Alumni and Supporters chapters can apply for a Give Back to Your Roots grant sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions to help! Visit ffa.org/alumni-and-supporters/chapter-opportunities for more
information.
