Communication

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            In Melissa Marshall’s “Talk Nerdy to Me,” she conveys that engineers and scientists need to be able to communicate with not only other engineers and scientists, but with everyone. Communication is an important aspect in today’s world in all occupations. Speaking in laymen’s terms draws people into the conversation.

            For instance, in the field of agriculture, I could talk to you about a cotton module, pyrethroids, or triple superphosphate. Whenever I speak to others who are not familiar with farming, I tend to use more basic words rather than specific agricultural terms. Rather than saying cotton modules, I could say a large packed form of freshly picked cotton that is compressed into either round or rectangular bales that can be easily transported to a cotton gin. These bales are just like the bales of pine straw you can buy at The Home Depot or Lowes. I could explain that this cotton in these bales could ultimately end up in a dollar bill like the one in your wallet or in the t-shirt that is on your back. When talking about pesticides, I could tell you that pyrethroids are used on cotton. Well what is a pyrethroid? Pyrethroids are insecticides that contain specific chemicals that are targeted to protect certain crops. Most people would be familiar with what insecticides are used for: to kill harmful pests that destroy plants. And, of course, there would be no reason to ask my friends if they are using triple superphosphate on their tomato plants in their garden. I should ask them if they have used fertilizer on their plants. As simple as that, using basic terminology draws people into my favorite subject of agriculture. Basically, I am a farmer, not “someone who is involved in agribusiness” or “a cotton producer.” I am a farmer.