Each day Landon Overbo, a 2021 NDSU precision agriculture technology and management graduate, clocks into work impacts agriculture in North Dakota.
Overbo, an equipment sales consultant at Titan Machinery, works with around 100 local farmers located north and south of Fargo, providing them with equipment that fits their farming needs to be successful.
There’s never a dull day on the job for Overbo, who enjoys the variety of people he meets.
“My favorite thing about my job is being able to get out of the office and go speak to farmers, get onto their farms and learn from what they do. Because every farm is different in certain ways, there’s so many different practices that you can utilize,” Overbo said. “I love being able to talk with them and hear their different thoughts on how to manage the land that they get to farm on in North Dakota.”
The importance of agriculture, the hard work of producers across the state and NDSU’s role in agriculture research will continue to be highlighted this week during the university’s annual North Dakota Tour. The event, which started in western North Dakota on July 8, winds through the eastern part of the state from July 15 through 18. NDSU President David Cook, university administrators, deans and others will meet alumni, local leaders, legislators, members of the State Board of Higher Education, Extension employees, agriculture producers and NDSU supporters during stops throughout North Dakota.
The tour coincides with Research Extension Center annual field days, which highlights groundbreaking NDSU agriculture research at Extension centers across the state.
Overbo has been with Titan Machinery since he was in college, first starting as a business and sales intern as a junior and then a part-time employee while he finished his degree. The opportunity to join the Titan Machinery team was presented when an employee spoke to one of his classes. Other local businesses Overbo and his peers were able to learn more about included Case IH, RDO Equipment, Microsoft and more.
The countless networking opportunities is just one example of how NDSU’s precision agriculture program is ensuring graduates step into the agriculture industry ready to make an impact.
Overbo, who grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota, wanted to stay local when deciding where to go to college. Having an interest in agriculture, NDSU was his top choice for its reputation in agriculture. He initially majored in agriculture systems management, but decided to switch gears after his first semester to learn more about new technology in the industry.
“I saw it as a great opportunity to be able to see the advancements in the industry and take advantage of being a leading edge in that department,” he said.
Overbo was the second NDSU graduate of the precision agriculture technology and management program.
Launched at NDSU in 2018, the program provides students with a broad education centered on agricultural, biological and physical sciences with economics, managerial and technical skills. Students get hands-on experience working with the newest technology, including unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data management, site-specific resources management and more.
Rex Sun, NDSU associate professor, and Paulo Flores, NDSU assistant professor, in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering are a pair of Overbo’s prominent mentors.
“They both got the ball rolling in our program and were very vital in our education. Their dedication to NDSU is significant. I can’t thank those guys enough,” Overbo said.
In addition to preparing him to be successful in the industry, Overbo said his NDSU classes also provided him with a wide depth of knowledge in farm management and a broader understanding of the operational side of farming that he has implemented into his family’s farm north of Jamestown, North Dakota.
As an NDSU graduate, Overbo is dedicated to ensuring students are connected to the same opportunities he had. Overbo and some of his peers have started an ag networking group called Next Gen Ag. The group is for agriculture professionals, as well as students involved in agriculture to network, exchange resources and create a strong community that advocates for agriculture.
Overbo is optimistic about the future of agriculture in North Dakota and is looking forward to the efficient solutions precision agriculture continues to create for farmers.
“I’m most excited about being able to provide more food and more resources with less land and just continuing to grow as much as we can with less resources as I see this being a continued issue in the future,” Overbo said. “That’s a big reason why the precision industry has taken off because we’re trying to get more precise on growing crops as farm land continues to decrease.”