About Me
My Experience - Controlled Environment Agriculture
At the University of Arizona I have worked on numerous projects. I grew tomatoes for 3 months in a greenhouse using a drip irrigation system with rockwool on coconut coir. We established the plants and then trained them in a traditional lean and lower technique. Fruit cluster size management, pruning, and harvest were performed.
I spent over a year growing seed corn in a greenhouse environment using ebb and flood techniques. Here I was able to get into setting up stock tanks using raw fertilizers/micro-nutrients from a supplied recipe. There was always something that needed to be troubleshooted and repaired: controllers, pumps, hoses, solenoid valves, and more.
Projects
I was able to volunteer in the campus vertical farm at the CEAC. Here lettuce was grown by graduate students to study the different effects of lighting, temperature, and CO2 concentrations.
I was also in directed research where I grew alfalfa. The goal was to determine which varieties were most salt tolerant.
My Skill Set
- Able to work with little to no supervision
- Team player, always looking to learn from others
- Troubleshooting - very strong deductive reasoning
- Stock tank solution creation from raw fertilizers/micro-nutrients
- Seeding, transplanting, and growing various crops
- Programming
- Documentation
Previous degrees: BS Computer Information Science, MS Management Information Systems. I completed my BS Sustainable Plant Systems with a Controlled Environment Agriculture emphasis in December of 2018.
Experimental Design and Analysis
My directed research project was a tool to go through and understand the processes of experiment design and analysis. I worked one on one with a professor that let me run the experiment. We covered aspects of the design and analysis in R as it progressed.
Growing Plants
I've grown tomatoes, lettuce, and even corn hydroponically. The University of Arizona has given me great opportunities to learn about various systems.
I've always had a passion for growing plants. It started in rural gardens when I was growing up. We always had a garden that produced more than we could eat. Breaking ground, sowing rows, tending, and finding unique ways to irrigate during the hot, dry days of summer. All good memories.
I have always had plants in my house, my little "jungle." Exotics like orchids and Tillandsia. Some thought it was odd that I had a banana plant in the living room, but I enjoyed it.
I hope I can use this passion in a fulfilling career.