BLOOMINGTON, ILL – JANUARY 6, 2022 – Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) has named Jennifer Jones and Megan Miller as Agronomy Managers, effective January 4, 2022.
Jones earned a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Science in Agronomy degree from Purdue University. In her former role as Watershed Outreach Associate for the University of Illinois Extension, Jones developed working relationships with local partners within the watershed, such as farmers, Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Illinois Farm Bureau to motivate and educate farmers and landowners to voluntarily adopt conservation practices to improve water quality and soil health.
Miller earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental biology with a minor in Chemistry from Eastern Illinois University, and a Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology from North Carolina State University-Raleigh. In her former role as Business Development Manager for Moore & Warner Ag Group, Miller developed a curriculum outlining basic row crop production principals for technologists, investors, and business professionals to be delivered in an online platform. She also evaluated and recommended conservation programs for the farm management team based on landowner client goals, and created a framework for comparing, contrasting, and evaluating carbon market program options.
As Agronomy Managers for ISA, Jones and Miller will work on behalf of Illinois soybean farmers in the development and the implementation of conservation agricultural research and outreach programs. They will support research efforts and help communicate both in-field and edge-of-field research and validation studies to ISA’s farmer audiences; lead demonstration of conservation agriculture practices; and raise awareness of best management and continuous improvement practices for conservation agriculture in Illinois.
“Jennifer and Megan’s diverse backgrounds and experiences working alongside farmers, scientists, extension, landowners, ag industry, and conservation groups will be invaluable additions to our team,” says ISA Director of Agronomy, Abigail Peterson. “Agronomy spans across so many levels of the ag industry it is incredibly important to have a strong team focused on everything from integrated pest management needs, financial needs, sustainability goals, and the overall development of resilient operations.”
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and ilsoygrowers.com.
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