The College of Applied Science and Technology’s “A Day in the Life of a CAST Alum” series is designed to shed some light on how CAST alumni spend their days. As with many careers, our alumni will tell you that every day is different, but this series aims to provide a peek into an alum’s world.
Ryan Snyder ’09 is a seed specialist for Heritage FS. A seed specialist helps farmers select corn hybrids and soybean varieties that will maximize yield on their respective farming operations. Depending on the season, the position ebbs and flows around customer appointments, plot and field analysis, seed operations, sales meetings, supplier training meetings, and continued agronomy training.
Here’s “A Day in the Life” (late summer) with Snyder:
7 a.m. Arrive in the office to begin the day
7–7:45 a.m. Catch up on emails and respond as necessary while grabbing a cup of coffee
7:45–8:30 a.m. Call customers and representatives from suppliers to set up meetings for later in the week or next week
8:30–9 a.m. Quick meeting with my supervisor to discuss new products
9:30–11 a.m. Meet with an area farmer to walk several fields and discuss seed options for 2015
11:15 a.m. Stop by to check in with another farmer and drop off a new seed catalog
12:15–1 p.m. Lunch and catch up on any new emails
1:30–3 p.m. Have our new Precision Farming Associate ride along and meet another area farmer
3:15–4 p.m. Check a few area soybean fields for potential disease (White Mold and/or Sudden Death Syndrome)
4:15–4:45 p.m. Wrap up the day in the office by sending emails, confirming tomorrow’s schedule, and checking the updated weather forecast
Got an idea for a future “Day in the Life” story? Contact us!
