ASHLEY M. BERGMAN

 Ashley m. Bergman

Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering 
Agricultural Engineering
Yorkshire, OH 

Ashley Bergman is an Agricultural Engineering major with a passion for agriculture and people. As a first-year student, she participated in a crops-judging contest through the Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences (SASES) program. The contest includes three portions: weed, seed, and crop identification; a lab practical; and a “farmer problem” or a math exam. After participating twice a year with the Crops and Soils Club, her scores greatly improved. She said, “It was fun to practice, learn more each year, apply my knowledge, and compete against myself.” Another benefit to the Crops and Soils Club was travel! Ashley has been to Utah, Iowa, Maryland, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, California, and Georgia. Beyond learning more about agriculture, and participating in conferences and contests, she has formed lifelong friendships with the students with whom she traveled. Ashely said, “They are all equally passionate about agriculture,” and she appreciates knowing they’ll always share that connection, even after graduation.

As president of the Crops and Soils Club, Ashley planned for and coordinated the Chadwick Arboretum Plant Sale with representatives from Chadwick. She ordered varieties of pepper and tomato seeds, and worked with club members to plant seeds for germination in the greenhouse to assure the seedlings would be ready for the plant sale. They sold thousands of seedlings to members of the Chadwick Arboretum, Ohio State faculty and staff, and the general public.

Ashley participated in three internships. As an agricultural research intern for Buckeye Ag Testing in Troy, OH, she learned about the testing and sampling processes used with crop seeds and other products prior to commercialization and marketing. She took tissue, root, and soil samples, learned how to take stand counts and collect NDVI data, and mixed and sprayed pesticides for small plots. While at Cooper Farms Processing in St. Henry, Ohio, Ashley served as an engineering intern and learned about animal harvesting and processing. She worked on projects that helped improve production line efficiency or enhanced safety for team members. For the Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. in North Canton, Ohio, Ashley served as an agriculture technician. She learned about design principles for manure storage facilities and how to test concrete and perform construction inspections. She observed large-scale manure storage and documented anaerobic digester construction on dairy farms.

Ashley appreciated mentor Chris Williams’ tips and lessons throughout his “Salesmanship in Agribusiness and Agriculture” class, as well as his advice during her decision-making process to choose her first job after college. Ashley has accepted a position as an associate crop production advisor for Mercer Landmark, Central and Southern region. She’ll provide seed, nutrients, crop protection, and precision agriculture information to help farmers and producers make their operations more efficient, sustainable, cost-effective, and higher yielding.

Service, involvement, and accolades: CFAES Ambassador | CFAES Internship Award 2023 | Agricultural Systems Management Club, service chair | American Society of Agronomy | Dean’s List | Crop Science Society of America | Soil Science Society of America