Field Notes Meets Nebraska Farmer, Andy Jobman

The National Corn Growers Association has launched its third season of Field Notes, a series that takes readers behind the farm gate to follow the year in the life of American farm families. While these growers come from diverse geographic areas and run unique operations, they share a common love for U.S. agriculture and the basic values that underpin life in farming communities.

Today, Field Notes meets Andy Jobman, who farms with his family in central Nebraska. In addition to growing a wide variety of crops, including corn for chip production, and ranching, Jobman also helps other farmers through his work as a crop consultant.

Through his crop consulting work, Jobman plays a role in agriculture across his area by helping other farmers spot potential problems and improve the efficiency of their input use. Stressing that the role he plays is collaborative, he explains how a dialogue informed by agronomic knowledge and awareness of the newest advancements in production practices can help farmers grow more while using inputs in a targeted manner.

“By carefully monitoring fields all season, we are often able to catch problems and address them in a quick, targeted fashion,” he explained. “One field may need to be sprayed for a certain pest, but another field on the same farm may not have an issue. Similarly, some fields may need more fertilizer or a different formulation than others. It is all about taking in all the possible information together and targeting every choice to get the very best result.”

Jobman explained that, while much of Nebraska saw drought conditions last year, many farmers around him did see excellent yields due to irrigation. This year, a winter is holding on in his area with snow on the ground when many would normally be applying fertilizer. To listen to the full interview, click here.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as Field Notes follows the growers across the nation who have opened their farms, families and communities up this year and meet the true faces of modern American agriculture.