If you are an alumni of the ISU Department of Horticulture, you probably know the place I work as the Horticulture Farm. You may recall touring the Horticulture Research Station during the Horticulture 221 field tour. I assist in the production and data collection of grapes and other small fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries, at the Research Station, with cooperating fruit grower's farms, and assist several other outlying farms with grape management.
My interest in plants started as a small boy growing up on a farm in eastern Iowa. However, studying art and marketing seemed more interesting when graduating from high school. As I was finishing my Graphic Arts degree at Clinton Community College, several colleagues became interested in plant photographs that I had taken while visiting home. They mentioned that I should try to get an internship at the Bickelhaupt Arboretum in Clinton since I was interested in plants so much. The Bickelhaupts were very happy to have an intern that was knowledgeable in computer software and that was also interested to work with plants in the landscape. As I continued my employment through the summer at the arboretum, I met Abe Epstein, a retired professor of plant pathology at Iowa State University. Since my interest grew in horticulture and I planned to seek more education on the subject, Abe invited me to visit ISU and meet with Barb Osborn. Before I knew it, I was signed up for my first semester in horticulture at ISU.
The first semester while attending ISU, I began picking apples at the Horticulture Farm. While working at the farm, I became interested in fruit production and research. I worked as a technician in the Biological Control area of the Entomology Department during that winter. Working in the entomology department broadened my interests into the department of Plant Health and Protection. In 2004, I finished my B.S. degree in Horticulture and Plant Health and Protection.
Before finishing my B.S. degree, Dr. Gail Nonnecke and I discussed completing my master's degree at ISU working with fruit crops. Gail encouraged me to work with strawberries, but I had been warned against strawberries due to the back pains from harvest. However, the allure of the strawberry prevailed, and I began work in the spring of 2005 planting strawberries and grapes into plots that had previously been planted to various cover crops to sustain soil and reduce pests.
I started working at the Horticulture Research Farm in the summer of 2008. I have always enjoyed working at the farm because it reminds me of when I started at ISU. The farm also allows me to work with students that are as interested in horticulture as I was when I first started and it allows me to produce my favorite fruit crops. Attending ISU and studying in the horticulture department has allowed me numerous opportunities in teaching, working with growers, conducting research, and it has allowed me to make many connections with cohorts, providing a very rewarding experience.
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