Writing and Research Project ~ Self Assessment January assignment Nathan Johnson

Background I grew up on a diversified crop and livestock farming operation in northwestern Minnesota. In 1976 my Dad sold out the livestock and we went strictly to crop production, raising certified seed potatoes, wheat, barley and sunflowers. I helped with the various tasks associated with production agriculture all through high school.

University of Minnesota Crookston is where I attended school after graduation. While there I majored in Farm Business Management. During my second year of school an opportunity came for me to purchase my first piece of farmland back home. Now it made the decision for me about whether to continue on with more schooling much tougher. Do I go home and work to become a successful farmer or keep on with school? It was a tough decision because while school went all right for me it wasn't something that I truly enjoyed. It was more like a task that needed to be done, so you do it. I finally made the decision to go back to school and get a four-year degree. Which turned out to be a wise one in hindsight. I attended North Dakota State University for three years graduating with a double major in agricultural education and agricultural extension.

As I look back at my time in school I think about the many wasted opportunities for enhancing my education. I truly believe that most students, myself included, aren't ready for post secondary education right after high school. Taking a year or two off would help a lot of students focus in on what they want to know. When I think back to my classes at NDSU it was the older than average students doing most of the questioning of the professors in the class. They had a distinct advantage over the rest of us in that they had experienced the working world and knew what they wanted to get out of the class.

My first full time job outside of farming was as a vocational agriculture instructor for a small school in MN. This was an educational experience for me as well as the students. College doesn't begin to prepare you for all the situations that can happen dealing with students and parents. This experience taught me the importance of having supportive staff and administration around you. At the end of my first year teaching another opportunity came up back home to purchase more land. With this addition of land I felt like becoming a full time farmer was possible for my wife and me. So we moved back home to develop a profitable farming enterprise. In hindsight I guess I picked a bad time to try becoming a full time farmer. We were able to farm for ten years while struggling with production problems the last five due to excessive moisture. Scabby wheat and late blight in the potatoes were two very expensive diseases to control without the guarantee of superior quality and production in return. Needless to say I realized it was time to begin looking for a change. Thank goodness that I had taken the time to complete my four year degree earlier.

In the summer of 1997 I started part time with the extension service as a community program assistant. My main responsibility was to put together a horticulture newsletter. Whatever time I had left after that was spent researching information for the extension educator in the county. This experience encouraged me to begin looking at trying something else, something with a steady paycheck and hopefully health insurance.

Professional Issues The time spent with extension has allowed me to see all the different tasks required of an educator. When I started I was surprised by all the writing projects that come across the desk. Many hours are spent writing news articles, brochures, news releases, and the like. Help in this area would be of great value. Finding ways to put a different twist on the same or nearly identical story would be very helpful.

Another issue I would be interested in is finding out the best technique to use when trying to find out financially sensitive information from struggling producers. I am just beginning to work in this area, in my county. At this point I don't feel like I am well trained enough to be comfortable doing it.

The last issue of interest to me is production agriculture and how that will change over the next five to ten years. How will extension educators work with the changes to help producers understand their options? What affect will genetically altered crops have on the country? These are some questions I am interested in finding out answers to.

Professional Goals

1. At this time, my professional goals are to begin developing a portfolio that will enhance my chances of moving up the ranks as an extension educator. My involvement with this Masters program is one of the keys in helping me to begin the climb.

2. Spend time getting to know state specialists as well as those in the private sector to develop a good working relationship. Enhanced written and verbal skills through participation in the various masters' classes should help in achieving this goal.

Thesis

I don't know at this time what areas I will be exploring for the project.

-- Anonymous, January 26, 1999