Category: Education

Students Awarded by FERT Foundation for Creatively Recognizing the Importance of Fertilizer

Arlington, VA – The FERT Foundation today announced winners for its annual #MADEPOSSIBLEBYFERTILIZER digital contest, a Nutrients for Life program initiative aimed at encouraging students to learn about fertilizers and then creating digital media that showcases the vital role fertilizers play in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. Winning students were selected based on creativity, storytelling, visual engagement, and a compelling narrative.

“The #MADEPOSSIBLEBYFERTILIZER contest is an incredible opportunity to educate a new generation about fertilizers and agriculture,” said TFI president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “We don’t expect all of these students to go into a career in agriculture, but there is tremendous value in knowing where your food comes from and understanding how important agriculture is to our country. The #MADEPOSSIBLEBYFERTILIZER contest is just one of the ways the FERT Foundation works to bring awareness of these important subjects to classrooms and communities across the country.”

Here are the winners of the #MADEPOSSIBLEBYFERTILIZER Digital Contest:

1st Place: Taein Kim – Nikola Tesla STEM High School – Washington

  • Fertilizer: A Key to Ending Hunger – An engaging animated video connects the fight against global hunger to the power of fertilizer. Through the story of a struggling tomato plant, viewers learn how nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can help grow more food and move us closer to Zero Hunger.

2nd Place: Liberty Simper – Kuna High School – Idaho

  • The Role of Fertilizer in Agriculture – A stop-motion piece paired with scenes from local farmland shows how fertilizer transforms land into fertile ground and boosts food production efficiently.

3rd Place: Levi Dang – Frederick County Career & Technology Center – Maryland

  • Garden of Eden – Using mixed media animation, Levi portrays the world as a garden, emphasizing fertilizer’s role in sustaining its health and productivity.

Honorable Mention: Roman Gattuso – Skyline High School – Michigan

  • Fertilizer: Farmers, UN Goals and Minecraft? – Discover how one of the world’s most popular games connects to fertilizer! Roman takes a unique approach, showing how Minecraft highlights the importance of fertilizer through both a video and a website. The website explores how fertilizer supports UN goal #2: Zero Hunger, farmers, and promotes sustainable agriculture. Project website.

Honorable Mention: Jasmine Smith – Galva High School – Illinois

  • Made Possible by Fertilizer – “Fertilizer vs. Fitness” cleverly compares plant nutrition to human wellness—showing how a balanced “diet” of nutrients helps plants thrive and maximize yields.

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FERT Foundation is the result of three industry foundations coming together to form a stronger, unified voice. The three pillars of FERT Foundation are fertilizer education, research, and training. The FERT Foundation uses one common voice to present fertilizer content in classrooms across the country, offer leadership and training opportunities for our industry’s future leaders, and communicate about innovative research projects.

A Lifetime of Passion and Innovation in Fertilizer: An Interview with Rob Mikkelsen

Rob Mikkelsen, the Director of Agronomic Services for Yara in North America, has dedicated his career to the fertilizer industry, working passionately to advance plant nutrition and soil health. “I’ve had the pleasure of being involved in the fertilizer industry and plant nutrition for many decades over my entire career,” Mikkelsen says. His enthusiasm for his work is clear as he reflects on the ways the industry has provided “real value to the human family with an abundance of healthy food.”

Over the years, Mikkelsen has witnessed significant developments in the fertilizer industry, particularly in sustainable practices. He notes, “We’ve taken a fresh look at protecting our natural resources of soil and air. And it’s really exciting to be part of that industry that’s really trying to be good stewards of the Earth.”

One of the most influential concepts Mikkelsen has helped promote is the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework: applying the right source, at the right time, in the right place, and at the right rate. “When you get all of those things right, that’s when the magic happens,” he explains. The 4Rs bridge the gap between nutrient management, environmental science, and the economic viability of farming. This approach has been globally impactful, allowing farmers to produce healthy, abundant crops while preserving natural resources.

Right Source

Right Rate

Right Time

Right Place

Mikkelsen played a key role in developing and distributing the 4R framework globally as the Vice President of Communications for the International Plant Nutrition Institute. “We formalized all of this science into something that could be easily explained to the public and to other agronomists, which was the 4Rs,” he recalls. Collaborating with organizations like The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and the International Fertilizer Association, he helped make the 4R principles accessible to farmers worldwide, promoting sustainable practices that boost productivity while preserving the environment. The framework has been translated into multiple languages and continues to expand its reach, including active programs in Africa. “There’s an active program in Africa right now disseminating the 4R message,” Mikkelsen notes, emphasizing the initiative’s lasting global impact.

Reflecting on his career journey, Mikkelsen encourages students and young professionals to consider the many opportunities available in agriculture, particularly in plant nutrition and fertilizer. “As my career has developed, I’ve realized that there are so many really smart and successful and motivated professionals that work in the fertilizer industry,” he says. Mikkelsen believes that the industry offers exciting and fulfilling careers that should be “highly sought after” for their engaging nature and positive impact.

Mikkelsen is particularly enthusiastic about his current role with Yara, where he continues to drive sustainable agricultural practices. “Joining Yara has been an incredible opportunity for me to work with a global leader in plant nutrition, and I’m excited to be part of a company that’s truly committed to both feeding the world and protecting the planet,” he shares. His passion for sustainable solutions aligns perfectly with Yara’s mission to develop innovative approaches that benefit both farmers and the environment.

Looking forward, Mikkelsen sees a bright future for the fertilizer industry, driven by new technological advancements such as artificial intelligence. “We have so many new tools in the laboratory. We have the insights of artificial intelligence, which is allowing us to look at huge data sets and to draw conclusions from data that we were not able to do before.”

Mikkelsen also emphasizes the life-changing impact that fertilizer can have, especially in regions where small-scale farmers struggle to survive. “I’ve seen how a bucket full of fertilizer and some enhanced genetics in the seed can completely transform the trajectory of a family,” he explains. Fertilizer not only improves crop yields but also empowers families to send their children to school, creating a ripple effect of positive change in their communities.

It’s easy to overlook how this miracle product really changes lives. When there is a humble family struggling for survival in Africa and then to see how fertilizer changes their farm to growing a surplus of food, and then they have extra money for their family’s future. That is just so satisfying thing to see and to know that perhaps I had a small part in making this happen.

Rob Mikkelsen

As Mikkelsen reflects on his career, it’s clear that his passion for plant nutrition and sustainable agriculture continues to drive him. “I’ve really enjoyed my career. I have worked with wonderful people and it’s something I look forward to every day,” he says. His legacy in the fertilizer industry will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of agronomists and environmental stewards.

Listen to Rob’s Walkout Song Here:

Fertilizer 101 Ep. 5: Feeding the Future – A Global Fertilizer Special

In this special Global Fertilizer Day episode of Fertilizer 101, host Morgaine Mertz-Myers sits down with Haley Siergiej from the Fertilizer Education, Research, and Training (FERT) Foundation and educator Julie Reynolds from Nutrients for Life. Together, they explore the critical role of fertilizers in feeding the world’s growing population and highlight innovative educational initiatives like the NFL (Nutrients for Life) program. Learn how fertilizers contribute to sustainable agriculture, discover fun classroom activities like “Fertilizer Fun Boxes,” and get all the details on the nationwide digital contest that inspires students to creatively engage with the United Nations’ Zero Hunger goal. This episode offers insightful conversations, real-world examples, and valuable resources for educators, students, and anyone curious about the future of food production.

Tune in on Spotify, Audible, iHeart Radio, or Spreaker, and discover how understanding fertilizers can help shape a more sustainable and food-secure world!