What do you do after you graduate with a Bachelor of Agriculture? Alumnus Claire-Marie Pepper (BAgrBus, 2017) used our CQUniversity Instagram account to take us through her day as a Graduate Agronomist at Northern Agriservices - dirt and all.
Good morning everyone! Claire-Marie Pepper, @the.vintage.farmer, here a Graduate Agronomist with Northern Agriservices in Kingaroy and in Murgon. For those who don’t know Kingaroy is located 230 kms north-west of Brisbane and is basically the peanut capital of Australia, what can I say…it helps to be nutty to work here?! Today I will being doing an #instagramtakeover and sharing with you a basic day at my work. Full of travel, country landscapes and plenty of food to snack on. So stay tuned and follow along as I work within the South Burnett area….. #CQUniAlumni #CQUniAg #southburnett #peanutsilos #worklife
First up - soil testing
Starting the morning off with a couple of soil testing jobs, we conduct soil tests for many reasons but the main is to see the content of nutrients in the soil and if it is lacking any essential elements required for optimal yields. I find soil testing enjoyable and don’t mind getting my hands dirty. This probe on the back of my ute makes it soo much easier than digging by hand…work smarter not harder they say! ~ Claire-Marie #instagramtakeover #CQUniAlumni #CQUniAg #soiltesting #actionshot #worklife
Next stop: weed control
To be a weed or not to be a weed, that is the question…. At the beginning of every growing season it is essential to conduct paddock weed inspections before or after planting to proactively and economically control and minimise the presence of them. Weeds can also be hosts of many diseases and promote the occurrence of pests. From the conducted paddock inspections today will then recommend chemicals and at what rates to the grower. Now with that done, back to the office now for lunch! ~Claire-Marie #instagramtakeover #CQUniAlumni #CQUniAg #spottheweed #paddockinspections
Did you know peanuts aren’t a nut?
Fancy a peanut 🥜? I’ve got a handful of peanuts that we assisted in providing some agronomic advice on, when making our way back to the office. Peanut harvesting is in full swing in Kingaroy, so there is plenty around for a quick afternoon snack! Perhaps these will become your next jar of peanut butter? Did you know peanuts are actually a legume!? ~ Claire-Marie #instagramtakeover #CQUniAlumni #CQUniAg #peanutharvesting #southburnett
Done for the day
Well that’s my day done for today, thanks for joining me and I hope you learnt something new. I will leave you with this lovely sunset taken in the diverse South Burnett region, the place I work with everyday and never get tired of. Enjoy the rest of your week! Thanks again! ~Claire-Marie #instagramtakeover #CQUniAlumni #CQUniAg #southburnett
If you want to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of an agronomist, read Claire-Marie’s recap of what the job involves. You can also find out more about CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Agriculture.
Are you a CQUni graduate interested in showcasing your job or industry through an Instagram takeover? Contact the Alumni Relations team.