By Taylor Parrish
NC Department of Agriculture
LUCAMA – Javan Harrell grew up with a love for agriculture that was shaped through a variety of programs, including Hunt FFA and Wilson County 4-H. “Ever since I was a little boy, I have always been interested in agriculture,” Javan said, “I have been very involved in Wilson County 4-H and Hunt FFA, where I attend several activities throughout the year to learn leadership and life skills in the industry. All of these experiences have helped me decide on a future career in agriculture.”
In addition to being shaped by our state’s agriculture programs, Javan’s father is the County Director for NC Cooperative Extension in Wilson County and his mother works at Scott Farms, a six-generation family farm in Wilson where Javan is also currently working to learn the trade. “Going to work with my father is what started my passion and fascination for agriculture growing up,” he said, “furthermore, my passion for agriculture has been influenced through my time at Scott Farms because I have learned a lot from my supervisor, the precision agronomist, and gained experience in a variety of areas, including soil sampling and drone usage.” Currently a senior at James B. Hunt High School, Javan is preparing to continue his education at NC State University in the Fall with a major in Agronomy.
On a daily basis, Javan is involved in a variety of tasks at Scott Farms, including plant health evaluation, creating maps of the fields and estimating sweet potato yields. “Scott Farms has given me experience in the field and taught me a lot, including how relentless and also how rewarding it can be,” Javan said, “no matter what is going on, you have to get things done on a strict timeline, but it’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of something that makes the world go round. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy and without it we would be non-existent.”
Products from Scott Farms can be found at most national grocery store chains as well as in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Javan’s favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is to wrap them in tinfoil and cook them on the grill.
His advice to other young people looking for a career in agriculture is to always try your hardest. “Agriculture is a rapidly growing field, which is creating more jobs to fill in the future, he said. “But you need to be a hard worker and really be dedicated to doing everything you can to better the industry.”
Javan is looking forward to his career as a precision agronomist because he will be helping farmers increase their crop yields and keep the agriculture industry strong. We wish you luck Javan and look forward to seeing how you influence the industry!
(This article was reprinted with permission from the NC Department of Agriculture.)
