By Brooke Keltner
Like farmers across the state, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is in the midst of harvesting its fall crops, including soybeans and corn. The annual ritual is not only necessary to maintain the farmland but is also helping teach generations of college students valuable lessons for their future careers.
One of those students is Hannah Humphreys, a sophomore in agricultural education. She works at SIU’s Agronomy Center, home to about 70 acres of small and large research plots. She applied to work at the center as a way to gain hands-on experience for when she leads her own classroom.
“It’s really cool to see some of my course work come to life,” said Humphreys, who’s also pursuing a minor in horticulture and endorsement in elementary education. “You can sit in the classroom and hear about this stuff all day, but when you come out here you get to see it being applied.”
From lawnmower to combine
Since starting the job in May, Humphreys went from never riding a lawnmower, to mowing large swaths of grass around the center to now operating a combine – a piece of equipment that’s weighed by the tons and so large it requires a ladder for the driver to enter its cabin.
Source : siu.edu