ND FFA Foundation

"Bringing you news of the best 
students in North Dakota"

 Brant Lemer Wins State Ag Service Placement Proficiency Award

From Buckwheat to Safflowers

 Brandt Lemer knows his crops.  An FFA member from Carrington, Brandt has always had an interest in crop production.  In fact, he started crops judging in 4-H when he was nine and started showing grain samples at the ND State Crops Show when he was twelve.  

It only made sense that Brandt jumped at the chance to work at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center .  

“When I was offered a summer job in the crops unit of the NDSU Carrington Research Extension center in May of 2003, I was excited to start,” wrote Brandt in his proficiency application.  “The CREC provides a valuable agricultural service in the area of crop research.  I knew that I would be working with a group of talented agronomists that would be developing new seed varieties, new foundation seed, disease resistant crops, etc.  The CREC publishes massive amounts of information related to their research on crop production in North Dakota .”  

Brandt’s responsibilities at the research center included working with test plots, which included weeding, thinning, mowing, rouging, and foraging.  He worked on hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, oil and non-oil sunflowers, soybeans, field beans, field peas, flax, and many specialty crops.    One of the most interesting aspects of the job has being able to be involved in publication of the data that Brandt helped collect.  In the summer of 2006, Brandt even became the station’s crop scout.  He was responsible for scouting crops and collecting data in the twelve south central counties of North Dakota .  

Throughout his years of service with the CREC, Brandt has learned many skills: he has learned how to set up irrigation misting systems, how to use grain cleaning machines, how to weed test plots, how to package seeds for test plots, how to scout fields, and how to plot data.  

Brandt graduated in 2006 and has been attending ND State College of Science in Wahpeton where he is majoring in Crop Production, Sales and Service.  He plans to return to the CREC this summer as a crop scout again to complete an internship with NDSCS.   After completing the two year degree, he plans to pursue a career in crop sales and service in North Dakota .  

The Ag Service Placement Proficiency awards are sponsored by the ND Grain Dealers Association.

Ths page is sponsored by the ND Grain Growers Association

Send mail to bethbakke@btinet.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: April 22, 2008