Jim Nesseth

My academic and professional background is high school graduation from Lakefield High School and a BS degree in Agriculture from University of Minnesota with a major in Animals Science and a minor in Agronomy. I have continued my professional development through workshops and trainings by other ag professionals and University specialists. I have taken graduate level classes during my Extension career and also became a Certified Crop Advisor through a certification program by the American Society of Agronomy. This certification requires continuing education credits in specific areas to maintain this status.

Ag profitability issues are what interest me most. Economics drives practically all change and changes in structure, systems, status or lifestyle creates a need for programming. Program opportunities for me could be maintaining or improving profitability in production ag by adapting new technology or changes that occur due to environmental issues when new regulations are implemented.

My professional goals are to improve my technical skills and knowledge base in production agriculture areas. I also would like to improve my leadership skills and form collaboratives in programming efforts.

My goal for the M.Ed. program is to help me improve the quality of my programs through the utilization of cohorts or collaboratives plus, I hope the M.Ed. program will improve my program delivery methods and also help me gauge the impact from my program efforts.

I am leaning toward a soybean production area for my thesis. I think it will either be implementing production practices for SCN or possibly how liming acid soils (low pH) can effect soybean profitability.

My writing skills began when I was employed as an outside salesman for a local agriculture coop. This coop produced monthly newsletters for each member patron. The newsletter consisted of articles pertaining to informational issues effecting the coop's profitability and operations. It also contained articles promoting products and services that would positively effect producers or customers profitability. I usually wrote in the areas directly affecting sales. I would identify a need and position a product or service from the coop to the producer, based on profitability.

When I became employed by the University of Minnesota Extension Service, the demand for more writing definitely increased. I also knew my writing skills would have to improve because of the expanded diverse audience. Improving my skills has been achieved through the immense exposure to newsletters, news releases, journals, research reports, etc. and the critiquing of my writing by other ag professionals.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 1999