James Heffley setting up ag educational display for the Montgomery County fair.
My name is James Heffley and this summer I took my first step in becoming a farmer… or at least learning about how farmers and landowners operate each and every day with the help of Maryland Extension. Extension is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, land-grant universities, and local governments. We offer a wide variety of programs and services surrounding the world of agricultural research and education. Our main focus is to use the knowledge and resources of the state of Maryland in order to develop agriculture in a way that is sustainable and gives businesses the best opportunity to be profitable. I had the privilege of working with the dedicated people at the University of Maryland Extension in the Montgomery County office this summer and enjoyed each and every challenge that faced me!
The first area of focus that I was responsible for was research. My supervisor, an extension agent, and I conducted a few projects over the summer including two turfgrass herbicide trials and weekly insect and crop scouting. During the turf projects, we were given organic post and pre-emergent herbicides from companies to test at the University of Maryland’s Turf research farm. The pesticides were mixed at different concentrations and sprayed at different time intervals. Then, I collected data on weed growth and percent coverage of all the plots and put them into Excel spreadsheets. Extension agents also conduct weekly field scouting on surrounding farms. At three local farms this summer, I collected data on corn and soybean disease and nutrient deficiencies. Moth traps were also set out and data was collected based on the number of moths that were present per day. Research is an extremely important part of extension. I learned how to create spreadsheets and present data in professional settings.
The second emphasis of my internship involved communicating this information to local farmers, extension workers, and even children. I was able to visit many businesses and attend tours and seminars where farmers and policymakers were able to come together in a setting where they could share new best practices in farm management and crop health. I participated in scheduling water and soil tests with landowners. Communicating any possible issues that I found within the fields of our clients was crucial. I used books and resources available to me to identify weeds and diseases. Then we were able to make suggestions to the farmer based on what we saw. I also wrote code for and developed spreadsheets that would organize the information as well as other administrative data that Extension collects.
Lastly, I got to develop and edit the agriculture curriculum and educational material. Between our 4-H Youth and Close Encounters with Agriculture (CEWA) programs, Extension offers numerous activities that allow children to participate in farming, food systems, and other STEM categories. I edited scripts that our volunteers read to kids at stations for CEWA on subjects such as dairy, whole grains, and beef cattle. I was also given the opportunity to publish an insect article for the Maryland Ag Newsletter. Using the research and observations that I made in corn and soybean fields, and applying them to academic writing was a great experience for me to learn how to communicate in different settings.
I want to use the experiences that I have gained over this summer in order to jumpstart a career in Agribusiness. I really enjoy using research and data to help people achieve their goals. Agriculture is one of the most important industries in the country and is ever-changing. I can’t wait to be a part of the development of Agriculture in the state of Maryland.
