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Purdue student receives TCF scholarship

Purdue University junior Garrett Corning is a recipient of a Chicago Farmers’ scholarship. Garrett is a junior majoring in agronomy.

Garrett noted in a letter to The Chicago Farmers that his introduction to farming came as a young child when he would help his grandfather on his farm “every chance I got.” His grandfather’s farm in Northwest Indiana has been a part of his family since 1966 when his grandfather purchased 500 acres. The farm has since expanded through purchases and leasing to 5,000 acres in Northwest Indiana and Illinois.

“I started out just riding on my grandfather’s armrest. Then I would do things like cut the grass, and now I help with all aspects of the farm,” Garrett wrote. He said that he drives semis hauling grain and he manages hay and straw production when he is home from school in the summer.

Garrett said he plans to return to the farm when he graduates and help his grandfather full-time. He said that his degree in agronomy will help him increase the efficiency of production on the farm.

“I also plan on opening my own agronomy business where I will mainly test farmers’ soils, make recommendations, and manage data in software to write custom variable rate prescriptions,” Garrett shared. “While I plan to help my grandfather on his farm, I will make this business my priority so that I can nurture and grow it. When it is stable, I will hire an employee or an intern to help with the busy times of the year so that I can focus on farming.”

Garrett said that he is grateful for the scholarship. He said he works throughout the summer, is a teaching assistant during the school year, and picks up any side jobs he can to fill gaps in his schedule and to help pay for school.

“With your generous donation I will be able to work a few less hours and spend more time focusing on finishing my degree,” Garrett wrote. “Again, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your generosity.”