Name: Josh Henik Present title position: Graduate Student in Agronomyt Role in Agron 114: Graduate Teaching Assistant Hometown/State: Mount Vernon, IA

How did you become interested in Ag? I grew up on a family farm in east central Iowa. My goal is still to one day return to the family row crop operation and continue the family tradition for a 7^th generation. While we had different livestock enterprises on our farm I have always been interested in the system of crop production, from the point of seed placement to grain delivery. I learned to drive a tractor at a young age and have loved working in the field ever since. Graduating from high school I knew that I wanted to be involved in agriculture in some respect but I was unsure which direction to go. My experiences here at Iowa State have really driven my interests towards the agronomic sector of agriculture. The cutting edge research being done here as well as at major private corporations is shaping the way for the future of agriculture. The advancements in trait technology as well as land management are areas that I have become passionate about. Your prior work experience: · Work as an Assistant Operator on our Family Farm · Sales Intern with Wyffels Hybrids: 2009 · Crop Scout for Innovative Ag: 2007 Hobbies/Interest: Production Agriculture, Outdoor Activities (Hunting, Fishing, etc.), Playing Guitar, Sports, Billiards, Travel. What do you think are some of the challenges in the future of agriculture? As the number of individuals involved in American agriculture continues to decrease and farm acreages increase it is important that we fully utilize the new management technologies in agriculture. The collection and use of data through yield monitoring, soil sampling and remote sensing can help us make environmentally and economically sound decisions moving forward. The challenge will be to keep producers up to date with the ever evolving technology. It will become increasingly more difficult to manage the rising number of acres that one producer may have without the strategic use of these knew breakthroughs in farm management.