Almost every aspect of agriculture involves engineering. Whether it's buildings to hold livestock, farm equipment, storage facilities for manure or grain, or something else -- engineering is almost inseparable.
Helping Iowans with their engineering needs is Tony Mensing, the newest field agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Mensing began the position June 1 and will serve Iowans in southwest Iowa.
His background includes agricultural engineering for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as the Vermeer Corp. and Musco. He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Iowa State in 2007 and most recently worked as an ag lender.
"I enjoy the process of taking a problem people have and working through it to find a solution," said Mensing. "Sometimes you find something that hasn't been considered before and sometimes you find that there's not a good solution, and you need to do something different."
Mensing continues to farm with his family, which includes his wife, Jennifer, as well as his brothers. He grew up on the family farm and came to appreciate extension during his time in 4-H.
He said extension already has many great resources available to help Iowans with their engineering needs, and many times farmers simply need help finding the resources.
"I first met Tony as an ag engineering student. He impressed me then," said Jay Harmon, associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director for agriculture and natural resources with ISU Extension and Outreach. "Since that time, he's worked in positions that honed his professional skills as well as his people skills. He will be part of a strong team that makes a profound impact in serving southwest Iowa and the entire state."
Mensing is based in Adair County. He can be reached at 641-743-8412 or tmensing@iastate.edu.
Categories: Iowa, Education