Tom Kelley, NK seed agronomist, has a management style that’s friendly, approachable and definitely on the curious side. “What we as NK agronomists try to do differently is ask questions. Actually, we do more than asking. We dig in and learn what it will take for us to be a part of a grower’s business,” says Kelley. “I know for me, personally, that works so much better than trying to dictate to the grower. It’s not about what he can do for me — it’s what I can do for him.”
When it comes to assisting growers with their own management practices, Kelley also recommends an approach that assesses the conditions before any action is taken. “I advise them to step away from the situation, ask themselves ‘What’s changed? What’s different about this year?’ and then we work together to make the right adjustments.”
Kelley is always up for helping a fellow grower. “One year I was working with a guy who had a particular problem with disease pressure that he just could not figure out. So, I took a look at the soil conditions, lined out a possible solution, and that’s what he did. It worked so well that the following year when I saw him, he thanked me again. I get a lot of job satisfaction from cases like that.”
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