This week marks half-way through the internship. I was able to make progress on both projects (with some trouble-shooting) and attend several events with the team. Although at the moment it may not feel like I am gaining progress – at the end of the week it is nice to see the work I was able to accomplish. One of the largest challenges of both projects is collecting valid data to use. This is critical to the projects as we want to be able to provide accurate results back to the farm and to those interested.
The team attended the Seed Growers Field Day here on campus this week. This event gives exposure to companies, consultants, growers, and researchers to the vast majority of projects that are being done at Cornell. Several crops including small grains and forages were involved in the ongoing studies. The field day is a great opportunity to gain some insight on what may be the next great variety for the future and a great place to network with those that are working in a related field.
At the end of the week, I was able to accompany Janice to look at corn ground that seems to be struggling and also determine if soybeans in the area need to be sprayed. After this, we attended a farm meeting to go over future plans for the farm. This is always an educational time as it is nice to understand how different farms operate and overcome both good and bad times.
