Amy Higgins – NSAC was a ‘Natural Step’

Studying at NSAC seemed like a natural step for Amy Higgins. This native of Quispamsis, New Brunswick grew up on a purebred Angus beef farm and has always had a passion for agriculture. Because of her farming background, Amy was very interested in working with cattle or other animals and knew that NSAC would be the perfect fit. She enrolled at NSAC fresh out of high school and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science with a minor in Agricultural Business in 2006.

Amy is now one of 23 people living in a small village called Langbank in south eastern Saskatchewan. She was hired by Cargill AgHorizons as an operations management trainee in Swan River, Manitoba immediately after graduating from NSAC. In April, she accepted the facility manager position at the farm service centre in Langbank. At Cargill, Amy provides producers with fertilizer and seed in the spring along with herbicide, fungicide, pesticide and pre-harvest chemicals for the various growing stages of their crops. When it is time to harvest, she collects bin samples and works logistics on getting the grain trucked to an elevator. “Throughout the year, we help the producers market their grain effectively, manage cash flows, plan cropping rotations and provide other agronomic services,” says Amy.

Photo Caption: Amy and her dog Burton

There’s no such thing as a typical work day for Amy. Her days vary greatly depending on the season. “Right now, harvest is kicking into high gear and the area here is very diverse in crops including peas, canola, flax, different varieties of wheat, barley, oats and rye,” she says. During harvest, Amy will spend most of her time on the road taking combine and bin samples, initially grading and helping plan logistics. In the spring, she will be managing Cargill’s fertilizer and chemical inventories as well as loading and dumping trucks. “This job gives me a great balance of office to warehouse work,” says Amy. “Plus, working with producers on a daily basis is definitely a bonus.”

Although Amy specialized in Animal Science at NSAC, she still felt prepared to work in crop production at Cargill. “I think I benefited the most from the diversity in agricultural topics available at NSAC,” she says. “I can easily carry on a conversation in a variety of agriculture industry topics such as dairy, blueberry production, sheep, beef and potato production.”

Amy was active in extracurricular activities while studying at NSAC. She played rugby, edited the Golden Ram for two years and co-chaired the woodsmen competition and College Royal for one year. She was also on the judging team and was the manager at the pub. “I have a lot of great memories from NSAC,” says Amy. “From rugby games (starting a game one player down, losing another by half, playing in slopping mud versus STU and still winning), Chapman antics (‘I can’t taste temperature ’), to the random days at the beach or in Wentworth.”

According to Amy, one of the best things about NSAC is the people. “They are social, knowledgeable and helpful,” she says. “I felt very comfortable throughout my university career.” She also feels that the projects and group work mimic real-world situations. “The research opportunity was far greater than I expected,” she says. Amy states that the networking capabilities at NSAC are second to none because you are not only making contacts in your own classes, but the campus is small enough that you can get to know a large proportion of students from all programs.

Currently, Amy plays rugby for the Regina Rogues and team Saskatchewan. In the winter, Amy stays active by snowboarding. She is also involved in the 4-H program as a beef leader. Amy has a cow and a calf as well as a chocolate lab puppy named Burton whom she spends her spare time training.