April 20, 2024
My name is Brandon Boyd, I am from Watertown, Wisconsin, and I grew up on my family’s beef and grain farm. Throughout high school I was very active in FFA and 4-H. I also played baseball and did trap shooting in high school. I also really enjoy hunting and fishing. I am currently a freshman studying Agronomy and planning on doing a double major in Agricultural Business Management. I am involved in many clubs on campus including Badger Crops Club, Collegiate Crops Judging, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Badger ¼ Scale Tractor Pulling Team, Saddle and Sirloin, and Badger Dairy Club. On the weekends I work on my family’s farm and this summer I have an internship where I will be working for Phillip’s Crop Care in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin where I will be working as a crop scout. In the future I plan on working in the agronomy field along with taking over the family farm.
I joined AGR through the Competitive Edge scholarship program. At the time I was very hesitant to even go to UW-Madison due to personal preferences, but after meeting many of the members of AGR and having AGR members take me on a tour of campus I knew UW-Madison and AGR was the place for me. Joining AGR has provided me with many benefits including helping me improve my social and leadership skills. It has also allowed me to network with many AGR members and alumni in the agriculture industry and take on many responsibilities in AGR house such as being the house steward and the mail clerk. Some of my favorite AGR memories so far include the Brewer Game, recruitment events, playing a lot of Sheepshead, and working at World Dairy Expo. I also enjoy many of the “spur of the moment” events that happen daily. I hope to continue to make many more enjoyable memories at AGR for the rest of my college career.
Some advice I would like to give to incoming freshman is to first give UW-Madison a try. I know it may feel daunting for many that grew up in small towns to come a to a large city to study agriculture, but Madison offers excellent academics, professors, and clubs to help support your education. I also highly recommend joining AGR and being as active on campus as much as possible because it has allowed me to transition into college easier, meet many new people, and have an enjoyable experience.
