Careers in Agriculture

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- 20 - © A gCareers.com 2017
Growing up on a dairy farm in
Southwest Wisconsin, Dave Austin
got his introduction to agricultural
technology when tracking genetics
and milk production records of his
family’s herd.
“While earning my B.S. degree
in Agronomy at the University of
development and data management in support of
Encirca. However, he said each day is a challenge to
keep up.
“New and exciting technologies are developing
every day, which means we must continuously adapt
and adjust our plans to meet customer needs,” Dave
said. “Every day is a new challenge with an associated
opportunity.”
Dave encourages young professionals interested in
pursuing a career in agricultural technology to seek the
best education available and to possess a high level of
interpersonal skills in order to work well with a team.
Most of all, he recommends a “voracious appetite to learn
and grow.”
“There has never been a more exciting time to
pursue a career in agriculture,” Dave said. “Technology
is making an impact in every aspect of the industry, and
increasing large quantities of data, which required new
automated software systems.”
Today, Dave works as Senior Information
Technology Manager for Encirca Services at DuPont
Pioneer, a new set of customized services that provide
analytics and management tools for producers to help
them boost crop productivity and profitability of their
farming operations.
“Encirca Services combines the latest technology for
weather, soils, agronomy and analytics to help producers
maximize crop yields and reduce risk,” Dave said. “To
deliver innovative solutions in precision ag, we leverage
a collaborative force of experts spanning fields such as
plant genetics, plant physiology, soil science, physics,
meteorology, computational biology, data science, and
computer science.”
Dave characterizes Encirca Services as a “start-up,”
which he says he finds “invigorating.”
“We are laser-focused on helping our customers
increase the productivity and profitability of their
operations,” Dave said. “It is extremely satisfying to know
that you are working on the cutting edge of
precision agriculture, implementing new technologies
that appeared to be impossible just a few years ago.”
Dave spends much of his time leading software
Wisconsin-Madison, I got a job in the Agronomy Molecular
Biology Lab,” Dave said. “While I was learning about DNA
in the classroom from books and lectures, I got hands-on
technology experience conducting a genetic marker study
to determine the origins of current-day alfalfa varieties
in North America. The first time I did a DNA extraction in
the lab, I knew that I wanted to pursue an agricultural
technology career.”
A master’s and a doctorate degree in plant breeding
and genetics later, Dave learned about a position at
DuPont Pioneer in Johnston, Iowa in their Research
Information Management group.
“Plant scientists needed analytic and software
solutions to implement new molecular breeding methods
and technologies to more quickly develop superior
products,” Dave said. “Each new advance in
scientific technology meant the collection and analysis of
there is a shortage of
qualified applicants for
nearly every position
posted. You are in demand
– get engaged and be
open to new opportunities
you may not even know
about today!”
ON THE CUTTING EDGE
“You are in demand. Get engaged and be open to new opportunities.”