Part of Agriculture Some Forget About: An Interview with Zach Hughes

Zach Hughes, from Sullivan, Illinois is a prime example of a person who loves agriculture and provides services in ways we usually forget about. Zach just so happens to be my future brother-in-law, he just proposed to my sister over the Christmas holiday! He is 23 years old and is currently living in Sullivan and working out of Assumption at Sloan Implement. Here is a short interview with Zach about how he contributes (indirectly) to agriculture and farming on a daily basis.

Zach likes to hunt

Kayla: Zach, tell me about your history with agriculture? (Involvements in high school, experience, etc.)
Zach: I started my career in agriculture when i was 12 years old when i was hired on by a local farmer to mow. I then went on to high school where i continued to work for the same local farmer and also joined Future Farmers of America where I became the treasurer. After high school I attended Lake Land Community College in Mattoon, IL with a major in Applied Science in the John Deere Ag Tech. program.

Zach hauling hay

Kayla: What type of career do you have now?
Zach: I am currently employed by Sloan Implement Company in Assumption, IL as a service technician. My job consists of fixing and maintaining John Deere equipment for farmers. I work day to day on new and old equipment.
Kayla: How does your job help aide in the bigger picture of agriculture?
Zach: The way my job aides in the big picture of agriculture is I'm one of many people that keep the machinery running that gets the crops out of the fields.
Kayla: What do you feel is one of the biggest issues facing agriculture or your related industry today?

Zach: I believe the biggest issue facing my related industry today is the EPA regulations for the amount of particulate matter that off road diesel engines can emit. With these more strict standards come new technologies in diesel engine designs. Along with this comes new training on how to diagnose and work on such engines.

Zach with me and my family!

Different Dedications to Agriculture: An Interview with Carrie Kuhns

Carrie Kuhns is one of my good friends from my hometown, Sullivan, Illinois. She is one of the most amazing, dedicated, intelligent, and hardworking people I have met in my life, and she just so happens to have a background in agriculture. Although Carrie didn't help her dad with a lot of his farming, she kept agriculture in her life in many different ways. 


Kayla: What was it like growing up on a farm?
Carrie: My father is a grain farmer, so I have grown up on the family farm. I did not get very involved in helping my dad because my brother took the reigns. However, I have witnessed my dad's hardwork and dedication to his profession my entire life. There is so much that goes into farming that people don't realize, and being able to manage all of that really is a great feat.


Kayla: How big of a part does agriculture play in your life?
Carrie: In high school I got very involved in the National FFA Organization, which is the largest youth leadership organization in the US. This organization focuses on developing leadership skills while pursuing agricultural interests, which is when I really became involved in agriculture. I learned about the universal need for agricultural processes and how everyone encounters products of agriculture daily. Whether it is the clothes we wear or the food we eat, agriculture touches us all. I think that fact alone is something that a lot of people do not realize or appreciate it and that is why agricultural education became my chosen field. Through my degree in Agricultural Leadership Education I can educate people of all ages in non-formal settings about agriculture and the opportunities there are in the industry. In my current job, I am educating employees in the ag industry to better develop their leadership and soft skills.


Kayla: Tell me a little about your internship with Growmark and what you do now with your job?
Carrie: This summer I was the Human Resources Intern for GROWMARK, Inc. During the 12 week program I was able to spend time in various departments including benefits, compensation and payroll, and career development. My special projects including developing and facilitating a behavioral styles workshop for the 52 interns and creating and administering a total rewards survey for all 500 corporate employees. During the internship there was a position that came available in the career development department. I was offered the position after participating in the interview process and will be starting full-time January 24, 2011. My title is Corporate Career Development Specialist and I facilitate training courses and complete preparation work for other courses.


Kayla: What is your favorite part of agriculture? 
Carrie: My favorite part of agriculture is the universality of it. The entire world functions because of agriculture and without it, we would not exist. It is because of agriculture that the world produces enough food that no one should be hungry, and it is because of agriculture that we have continued developments in biotechnology, creating sustainable resources. Also, with the continual developments, the agricultural industry will always be needed and will have many opportunities for jobs and careers. 

Australia's Crisis: Can Farmers Pull Through?

The non-stop downpour of rain and floods in Australia is really taking it's toll on farming and agriculture in the country. The farms were in desperate need of water and they got their wish granted! Unfortunately, they received too much moisture, which created floods and has made their soil useless.

According to this article from the New York Times entitled "Farmers Bear Weather's Fury in Australia," by Aubrey Belford, the weather is really taking it's toll. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/world/asia/17iht-australia17.html?_r=1&ref=agriculture

The following links are just a few ways that American's are trying to help, with information for you as well.

1. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/winfrey-rallies-fans-to-help-flood-victims-20110120-19ww6.html
2. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/australian-cinemas-tv-stations-raise-73366
3. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/australian-cinemas-tv-stations-raise-73366

What are you going to do to help?!

The Power of Corn

Corn is used in many different ways in today's world, not only for eating. This video is from a popular television show on the Discovery Channel entitled: How Stuff Works.

This clip from the HowStuffWorks show on the Discovery Channel discusses the use of corn to make plastic. Plastic made from corn is biodegradable, carbon-neutral and edible. Could corn plastic revolutionize the plastics industry? Watch to learn more.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/31279-corn-corn-plastic-video.htm

Seeing the uses of corn expand into other industries brings about more questions. What else is corn used for? What other ways can corn and farm products be incorporated to help our earth?
The options are endless and it's farmers and other men and women in the agriculture related fields that help us find out what these uses are. These individuals not only expand our knowledge base, but also teach us more about the numerous ways agriculture can affect our daily lives.