Agvise celebrates 50 years, and over the next month, a series of articles will be written about each department. A lighthearted look at the daily work life of the employees.
Soil scientists are the ones who turn dirt into data to help area farmers. Both John Breker and Jed Grow earned their degrees in Soil Science from NDSU. John has been employed for 9 years, and Jed has worked for 2 years at Agvise
What are Soil Scientists and Agronomists? Jed shares that an agronomist is the “jack of all trades when it comes to farming and crops. The scientist is like a family doctor for your soil, mixed with a forensic detective when things go south.”
John leads the sales and technical support teams. He helps clients make informed decisions, sharing, “I am trained in biology, chemistry, and physics and their interactions with climatology and geology that create the diverse soil resources across the Earth’s surface. It is this thin layer of soil upon which we depend for our food, fiber, and lumber that feeds, clothes, and shelters the 8.3 billion people of Earth.”
A workday for the guys consists of answering phone calls and helping clients understand the soil test results from their farmland. There are conversations with crop consultants and growers about problems they may be facing or seeking advice. John travels quite a bit, giving educational talks to farmers, agronomists, and consultants.
Both men find their work rewarding because the guidance they provide helps growers make decisions that affect fields close to home and across North America. Jed noted that, like advice from a family doctor, his recommendations are not always easy to hear. Still, he works to show growers that good nutrient management is essential to healthy soil. John added that smarter decisions on the farm level strengthen both food security and natural resources overall.
When asked whether they preferred early morning in a field or late-night harvest, Jed shared that he loved “late-night potato harvest on Saturday, then sleeping and going to church on Sunday. Nothing beats that.”
Oh, and the work drama, everyone experiences it. If crops could talk, which one would be the biggest complainer?
It would be those darn Soybeans and dry beans, according to Jed, “Talk about your primadonnas!” John said we should just be thankful that real plants can’t talk. “I have seen Little Shop of Horrors.”
What songs would be on the Agvise soundtrack? During planting and harvest seasons, everyone is “Under Pressure”- Queen and David Bowie. In the fall, soil sampling would be “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne. Summers can either be “Have you ever seen the rain” by CCR or “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas. John has lyrics of “The Elements” by Tom Lehrer, racing through his mind, and it goes a little like this:
“There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium
And hydrogen, and oxygen, and nitrogen, and rhenium
And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium
And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium….”
And hydrogen, and oxygen, and nitrogen, and rhenium
And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium
And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium….”
And the song goes on and on.
Agvise is celebrating its 50th year in business, and there is no doubt that the front office crew has been the center of multitasking. These ladies are the heart of this business's circulatory system.
First to arrive at work in the morning is usually April Anderson. She turns on the computers and makes the all-important first pot of coffee, which will be the source of much-needed caffeine infusion to start a busy day. Jodi Knoblauch gets busy entering data about Tissue, Water, and GLPs. Patti Beine is busy with GLP receiving and assisting in GLP archiving. Emily Pollert is opening and scanning parcels for UPS and FedEx, but they are all answering the ever-ringing phone with a cheerful greeting, ready to help.
Everyone loves working during the fall season. "It is busy and the day flies by. I love when Agvise is full of employees, and everyone is working as fast and efficiently as they can!" Jodi shares. Halloween is especially fun, as the staff often dress up for the holiday, which adds an element of fun to all that needs to be done. Teamwork and helping each other are how the job gets done, according to April, "Most of us try to work together as a team and help out where help is needed."
For those of you who have watched the TV show The Office, the ladies were asked which of the show's characters best represented them at work. It was all about Dwight and his yoga ball or fitness orb for Jodi. Emily and Patti leaned towards the warm, quiet, empathetic Pam Beesley. April identified with Phyllis, who is motherly but also could throw a little snark into a situation.
Front offices are full of supplies to get the job done. Which office supply would define these ladies? Emily said she would be a paper clip, sharing, "I'm organized and keep it all together, but very flexible." Patti would be a Post-it note; Jodi, the overhead intercom; April shares it is the sticky notes.
The background soundtrack playing while the phone rings and the keyboards tap away would be working "9 to 5", or is that 8 to 5? The ladies are all about "Taking Care of Business", as they "Shake it Off" while the stress mounts. They tell themselves, "I Will Survive" because together, "We Are Family." Of course, "This One's For the Girls" while enjoying April's cracker mix, Jodi's corn dip, and spoonfuls of peanut butter and candy.
Photo: A little office hijinks for the front-office workers. Left to right: Patti Beine, Emily Pollert, Jodi Knoblauch, and April Anderson (seated).
The Dirt Starts Here
As Agvise prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in July, they shared what it is like to work in Soil Receiving and Layout. This is where the soil begins its journey to the lab, and the work is, quite literally, a dirty job. Chris Hertel shares, “There is always someone who unknowingly has some dirt face paint, which can lead to some good laughs.”
Incoming soil is processed in this department. The bags are scanned into the system and placed on carts. The samples are spread onto trays and put on drying carts. They then roll them into the soil dryers. The dryers remove all the moisture from the samples with heat and air.
Finally, with all the moisture removed, the workers send the soil through the grinders. This breaks down the clumps into fine grains. The soil is returned to the bags, and the bags are sent to the laboratory to begin testing.
Chris is thankful for the hard-working crew: Mel Rasmussen, Lanette Hillebrand, Jonah Rodriguez, and Braydon Rasmussen; they are the full-time workers. The fall rush at Agvise is challenging because they receive thousands of soil samples.
The crew of 5 expands to include 35-40 seasonal workers.
“It gets to be quite a juggling act to make sure everything gets done. We are very lucky to have a great group of full-time employees, and the seasonal help makes what we do possible.”
When the seasonal rush is in full swing, you can catch the crew jamming to “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus. You have to keep things upbeat while preparing all of those samples. If the department had a theme song, it would definitely be “Dirt on my boots” by Jon Pardi.
Photo: Chris and Jonah prepare soil samples that will begin their journey through Agvise.
Agvise Laboratories is celebrating its 50th year in business, and it's the Dirt Detectives that are hard at work in the lab.
Angela Schuster is the ICP Area Supervisor-Lab Tech 3, sharing, "We turn on the machines to warm up, scoop commercial soil, process the samples, run tests, run water, soil, plant tissue, manure/fertilizer through the day."
Heather Hanson works with chlorides and runs the carbonate area. Cheryl Weber runs the Nitrate/Sulfate Analysis, while Danica Bachmeier is busy running the AA's, which are tests for potassium, copper, and zinc. Farmers are provided with test results, which help them make decisions about the fertilizer or nutrients needed to grow that bumper crop.
During much of the year, the days are all different, but when the fall season arrives, things become much more repetitive. Consuming vast amounts of caffeine from coffee, tea, or energy drinks may be necessary.
Some of the lab positions require further schooling, while others do not. "A background in chemistry has helped me, but being a team player and working well with others is a great quality to have," shared Danica. Cheryl affirmed that Agvise provided a lot of on-the-job training, so don't be afraid to apply.
What is something interesting that someone outside of Agvise would not know? "The ICP plasma reaches temperatures as high as 17,500 degrees F, which is as hot as the sun's surface," shared Angela. Soil even comes from other countries.
The gears are moving fast during the fall season, which can lead to the inevitable accident, according to Cheryl, who shared, "Sometimes in the fall our 'finished' tray stacks get very high. On more than one occasion, a whole cart has tipped and crashed on the floor. It's always embarrassing for the one who knocks it over, but it makes for a good laugh for the rest of us."
The crew makes the best of their days and has their work areas decorated with personal items. There are photos of family & pets, a bag of golf balls, and Angela is known for her beautiful plants. Everyone loves funny pens and original art pieces created by Heidi Trosen.
The days go fast when you can joke around with each other. "Welcome to the Jungle" would be a theme of the lab, and no doubt with a dancing Trever Jacobson.
Photo - The Lab Detectives: Back row: Chris Kleveland, Bianca Ochoa, Nicole Korsmo, Reese Mitchell, Angela Schuster, Heather Hanson, Heather Harp, and Cheyl Weber. Front row - Trever Jacobson, Destinee Korsmo, Sherry Hime, Danica Bachmeier, Melissa Pinske, Nicole Bachmeier, and Joyce Bratlie.
