Posted May 29th, 2024

Since being introduced to Avery Watson, a high school junior and FFA member who conducted a research project at the Champaign Innovation Farm, we’ve been in awe of her ambition and excitement toward her research. Now, we are honored to further our collaboration with Avery as our first Student Ambassador.

In agriculture, the blending of tradition and innovation paves the way for young leaders to rethink the future of farming. Avery Watson from Champaign, IL, embodies this as she continues her State Fair-winning research project in collaboration with Nutrien Ag Solutions. Now in its second year at the Champaign Innovation Farm, the project will compare a high-tech planter to a basic planter to collect another year of data on the efficiencies new technology brings to the field.

Her partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions provides her with the resources, mentorship and insights needed to set the foundation for the project’s second year. Last year, Avery and family friend, Thaddeus Bates, Sr. Manager, Innovation Farms, sat at her kitchen table to lay the groundwork.

“We wanted to look at two different planters. Our neighbor had an older planter and we wanted to compare that to the new high-tech one. For the first four days after the plant emerged, I was out there each day flagging everything. I ran 2 yield emergence tests within different plots, and then tested at the Innovation Farm plot. We wanted to have two different testing sites to see how things reacted in different environments.

I was out there every day running tests. It required a lot of communication and making sure logistically things would work. Thaddeus was very helpful in making sure that I knew the experience of harvest from a research standpoint. My dad's farm is production agriculture growing corn and soybeans, so they're not worried about how well each individual row yielded. Yes, they want good yields, but with Thaddeus, there were two people in each piece of equipment, one operating and one taking research notes. It was cool to see how they have a different mindset that's in line with what I'm doing.”

Along with the support from Thaddeus, Avery has the expertise of Bill Decker, Research Specialist, and Mark Kinsey, Precision-Ag and Agronomic Innovation Trial Lead, to make sure the research is correct to the scientific method. While she has great support, she also receives a lot of autonomy, learning on her own with the confidence that Thaddeus is just a text or a phone call away. She’ll be running the same tests this year to collect and compare the data. While the first year of data showed similar results between the older and newer planters, she suspects that “we would have seen a bigger difference with the new planter had it been harsher planting conditions.” Only time will tell how this year’s results may differ. Once she has her second year of data, Avery plans to take a deeper look at the financial impact to see the return on investment of each planter.

Avery’s dedication, leadership and passion for fostering community bonds are prevalent in many areas of her life. She is very active in the FFA in her current role as the secretary and has recently been elected as next year’s president of the Unity FFA chapter. She’s a member of her school’s volleyball team, plays trumpet in the school bands, is co-president of the student council and is a member of 4H and the National Honor Society.

Avery's journey as a Student Ambassador for Nutrien Ag Solutions serves as an ongoing inspiration for other young farmers. She is a remarkable young leader poised to make a lasting impact on the future of farming and we're excited to share more of her findings with you throughout the year. Follow along on our Facebook and Instagram!

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Posted September 20, 2021

Brent Smith of Nutrien Ag Solutions sits down to discuss his passion for FFA