Happy Fall Everyone!
It has been quite the week spent in class, taking exams, and oh we got to spend some great time in Phoenix, Arizona sharing the love for Agronomy with hundreds of students. Just one short week ago about twelve of us flew out to Arizona for the national Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences (SASES) meeting. This was my first national meeting for the organization and was not so sure what to expect, but I was amazed at the opportunities and great fun we had while in the Southwest.
One of our days was spent going on tours of local agricultural businesses and attractions. There were many types of tours to choose from, but I thought the tour I participated in was very informational and fun. We got to visit a rose bush farm and learned that Arizona is one of the leading producers of rose bushes! Not only was this interesting to learn about, but it made quite the site by the mountains and smelled BEAUTIFUL!! We also got to visit a radish production farm, a composting business, an organic farm, and wrap up with visiting a state park. This state park was not one you would imagine from Indiana. While we got to hike around the trails for about an hour we were surrounded by different cacti and wildlife that I have never had the opportunity to see in their natural habitat before. Of course before leaving we all had to hit the shop to buy us some cacti to bring back a little warmth to Indiana!
The tours were amazing, but the opportunities for networking and professional growth were outstanding. Throughout our few days there we got to look at research posters and discuss with grad students their research and findings and the opportunities for us in grad school. Many of us in our group also had the opportunity to participate and excel in our competition areas. I personally got to participate in the speech contest and met so many passionate individuals in this area and I learned so much from my and their speech research. We did very well with our quiz bowl team and learned a lot in crops judging as well.
There is so much more to share about this trip and the opportunities in agronomy and the Purdue Agronomy Club! Please feel free to contact me at dwestpha@purdue.edu
Best Wishes
Dakota Westphal
Agronomic Business & Marketing
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