Josefine Bartlett: Cultivating Knowledge
Thursday, March 6th, 2025
Josefine Bartlett, a key part of the new Agricultural Operations diploma program
Excitement is growing at Northwestern Polytechnic’s Fairview campus, with help from instructor and agronomist Josefine Bartlett. Josefine joined the newly launched Agriculture Operations diploma program in the fall of 2024. She spent September and October developing courses, and welcomed the first cohort of students to the Fairview campus in November.
“That’s what I call the golden nugget of the program - it matches the agriculture season,” Josefine says. Courses begin after harvest, allowing students who already work on a farm some flexibility before heading to the classroom. During the two-year program, they’ll spend time digging into courses on agricultural equipment, farm operations and technologies, safety, leadership, and more. Students will then transition to an extensive work term from April to August each year.
Josefine knows agricultural life from the ground up. She grew up in a family that farms: first in Sweden, and since 2005, outside of Fairview. That was followed by marrying into a fourth-generation farm family, so Josefine is an old hand at balancing her agronomy career with the cycle of farm life.
“The fact that I’m from a farm means I understand what it’s like, the time and effort it requires in-season and out,” she says, noting that “in-season” is misleading since agriculture is busy year-round and is home to incredibly hard-working people. She feels that all the pieces of her personal history have prepared her for this new role with NWP. “My schooling helps bring in theoretical perspectives, plus my time in the industry - it ties it all together.”
Josefine always knew that she wanted to stay in farming. After a detour into animal sciences, she found her path with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Alberta. That was followed by positions with Richardson International and Bayer Crop Science, as well two summers as a crop scout with Cargill. She speaks fondly of her instructors, and about the connections she made at school, saying “Those are the people I still call today when I want to discuss a problem.”
Josefine is excited to be a part of the new program, and says she hears that same enthusiasm from the students, school and community. She’s especially eager to talk plant physiology and integrated pest management in an upcoming course - “That’s my wheelhouse,” she says.
While the program is geared to welcome anyone, Josefine notes that this first group of students all have farm experience to draw on. Graduates will be well-equipped to bring new or deeper skills back to family farms, or to work in industry or retail.
Her message to her students, whatever their experience? “Have an open mind. Listen to your peers, textbooks and teachers,” she suggests. The program builds critical thinking, encouraging students to find ways to test what they learn and discover what works best.
Josefine acknowledges there’s a balance to be found between new knowledge and the realities of running a farm. “You have to put yourself in the farmer’s shoes,” she says, and consider economics along with science.
Like all working moms, Josefine also looks for balance between her career, her two young children, and life on a farm. For now, she is cultivating her role in the new Ag Operations program, while the NWP community reaps the rewards of her knowledge and experience.
