ACES student discovers professional purpose at crop sciences conference

A few months ago, Greta Hall traveled from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to South Dakota State University and found herself listening to a lecture about SDSU’s invention of cookies and cream ice cream. For Hall, this was only one highlight of the Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Science (SASES) Spring Meeting, a three-day-long event for undergraduates interested in or involved with crop sciences, soil science, and agronomy. 

For Hall, it all started with the Field and Furrow Agronomy Club, a registered student organization at Illinois.

“Through Field and Furrow, I was able to connect with other students, and the SASES conference was actually an opportunity that arose through the club,” said Hall, crop sciences major and rising junior in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois. “We were all so grateful to be sponsored by and attend the conference on behalf of the University of Illinois. Being out of state was really exciting for all of us! I loved being able to talk and connect with even more people.”

Hosted at a different university each year, the SASES Spring Meeting is an annual gathering of more than 400 undergraduate students and advisors. Events include soil and crop judging competitions, keynote speakers, and breakout sessions with industry professionals and professors, giving students the opportunity to connect with fellow undergraduates and future employers.

Amid the energy of the conference, Hall found a sense of community and camaraderie with fellow Big Ten students – plus a little friendly rivalry. The team started the weekend with the Ag Olympics, where Illinois claimed bragging rights by defeating Ohio State twice in the tug of war competition.

The weekend continued with a full slate of enriching experiences, including keynote speakers and academic contests. ACES students excelled in the crops and soil judging competitions, with the soil judging team earning a first-place finish.

Hall shared her pride in their performance and expressed confidence that, with this year’s experience under their belts, next year’s crop judging team will be even more competitive.

But community connections weren’t just limited to the conference activities. In fact, Hall found herself making connections with industry and field professionals local to South Dakota as well.

“It was interesting to hear about how crops are grown in other parts of the country and compare experiences, too. At one point, we were split up into different tour groups and visited an ethanol refinery and a dairy farm where they made Babybel^® Cheese, amongst other places, which was amazing. It was also super cool to see the things I’ve learned in the classroom applied in the crop judging competition and even in real life during the industry tours.”

Hall found that the SASES Spring Meeting also became a way for her to learn more about the path she’d taken as an ACES student and where it would lead her in the future.

“One of the best parts of SASES was seeing that connection drawn between my College of ACES education and the real world,” Hall said. “I’ve also learned a lot about myself — specifically about what career I’m interested in pursuing. A big takeaway for me after the conference was that I do appreciate how my agribusiness concentration — and learning from professionals — helps open doors to many future career paths that I can take in the future.”

The Spring Meeting is just one aspect of SASES membership, which offers professional development opportunities year-round through its parent organization, the Science Societies.   Hall says Illinois students can get a taste of these opportunities by attending Field and Furrow meetings on campus.

“Our first meeting this semester will be on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. in room W109 in Turner Hall! Come talk to any of the executive team; we’ll all be smiling and ready to help with anything. Each and every one of us had an amazing experience at this conference, and we also want to see everybody else have the opportunity to have that great experience as well,” Hall said. “Field and Furrow will be at Quad Day on August 24, so make sure these dates on your calendar are free!”

For students who want to connect with Field and Furrow at Illinois, they can reach out to executive members on Instagram at @fieldandfurrowillinois or on their GroupMe. SASES members are invited to CANVAS, the annual joint conference of the Science Societies: the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). CANVAS will be held November 9-12 in Salt Lake City, Utah. To find out more about this event, you can visit their official website.

Opportunities like the SASES Conference are made possible thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends. To contribute to experiential learning and professional development opportunities for students like Greta, visit go.aces.illinois.edu/give. Select “Other” as the gift designation, and enter “Crop Sciences Experiential Learning Fund - 338312.” To learn more about how you can make a difference, contact Patrick Gavin in the ACES Office of Advancement at pjgavin@illinois.edu.