Josh Noffsinger, a second-year Agricultural Business Major Institute of Applied Agriculture at the University of Maryland, College Park, had an eventful summer interning at Willard Agri-Service located in Mount Airy, Maryland. His internship took place from May to August, where he learned a handful of skills, such as taking soil and tissue samples, crop consulting, scouting, and operating many types of machinery. Noffsinger worked with a variety of crops: corn, soybean, wheat, and hay.
A typical day at Willard Agri-Service entailed Noffsinger scouting vast crop fields and assessing crop conditions. He would also check fields for pest pressures such as weeds, insects, or disease, and occasionally take tissue and soil samples to analyze. Spending time doing this fieldwork contributed to Noffsinger’s ability to quickly identify weeds, insects, and diseases in the agricultural field. “I have a strong passion for agriculture and being outside. I enjoyed walking the fields and getting to speak with the people growing our food. It was great to be a part of helping other farmers grow the most productive and highest quality crop.” - Noffsinger
In addition to these tasks, Noffsinger also had the responsibility of operating row crop sprayers to apply fertilizer and working alongside helicopter sprayers to apply products in the field. He would fill up tender trucks with herbicide and fertilizer to re-supply the sprayers, which would disperse the chemicals onto the fields. “The interns at Willard provide a great service for the representatives by helping scout fields and numerous other tasks during the busy season.” - Supervisor
This summer provided Noffsinger with plenty of new experiences and skills that he will employ in his future jobs. Noffsinger enjoyed the agronomic work he was doing and he would like to continue being involved in the agri-service field and related fields after he graduates from the University of Maryland this upcoming fall. “I was able to experience a field that I have always wanted to pursue and I have learned so much. I enjoyed working alongside the people in the company as well as interacting with the agricultural community which I have a passion for.” - Noffsinger
