Be More Specific!

Mount Pulaski’s claim to fame is the immense history surrounding Abraham Lincoln and his time spent practicing law in the community. If you ask me, the real claim to fame is the deep impact that agriculture has within the community. Located in Mount Pulaski, Illinois, GroAlliance prides itself in the unique sets of philosophies, experiences, and perceptions among its employees.

Transplanting rows of corn in the nursery!

This summer, I had the pleasure of working at GroAlliance as a field worker and crew leader. Some of my responsibilities included contacting new summer employees for hire, training employees, designating specific jobs and crews for each field, and corn research work in the nursery.

This experience began in May, where I spent a majority of the time planting our research nursery and isolated crossing blocks. This proved to be very tedious work because each row in the field was unique and labeled as such. Throughout the summer, our time spent self- and cross-pollinating in the nursery increased as the rows developed. As the amounts of pollinations dwindled and the summer season came to a close, we organized bags and row tags in preparation for the upcoming harvest season.

Reflecting on my summer as an intern, I recall one situation in which my communication skills were not as effective as I had assumed. The job seemed simple enough: two employees were to remove all of the irrigation stakes from the field while the rest of the crew removed irrigation drip tape. I assumed that the two employees understood that the stakes needing to be removed were the irrigation stakes and not the wooden stakes marking specific rows in the nursery. Much to my dismay, they returned from the field with buckets filled with the numbered stakes and spent the afternoon returning them to their original rows.

A lot can be learned from unsuccessful communication in a situation when an important task relies on it. In addition to my communication skills growing, I received lots of helpful advice that I hope to carry into any other experiences as a professional. Perhaps the most memorable piece of advice was to always be specific when giving instructions! Additionally, if you’re confused or unsure, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Take into consideration different perspectives because your own perspective can grow extensively.

This experience allowed me to combine my love for agriculture and educating. After having spent my summer as an intern with GroAlliance, I feel more prepared to teach an army of students in high school, have a broadened understanding of how high school students learn, have gained more patience and passion, and look forward to applying the skills I’ve developed through my summer experience to my future career as an agriculture educator.