Jessie, Kelsy, Brian and Kiera Alt
Earlier this week we got to see ASTA’s latest video project with plant breeder and mother, Jessie Alt. Today I got to sit down with her to talk about her role connecting consumers with plant science.
As a research scientist for DuPont Pioneer, Jessie’s day job is to develop new soybean varieties for farmers, but off the clock she’s a wife and mother of two little girls. ASTA’s goal was to create a video that shows consumers the face of a plant breeder– making the whole thing a little less scary and a lot more real.
The video is authentic, Alt told me. It’s her kitchen table, her office at work, and her dead tomato plants. The girls sitting on the counter and helping in the garden are authentic as well, as any mother can see. You can also see the passion she has for her work, and for her efforts in sharing that work with the public.
Besides the video Alt is also involved in her community. As time allows she takes a few minutes to share with her daughter’s preschool class and often speaks to local high school students.
“If anyone wants to be an agvocate- or advocate- for what they do everyday it does not have to be big,” Alt assures. “It really can be just 10 or 15 minutes here and there, having a conversation.”
Listen to my full interview to hear more about the newest face of plant breeding: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/astacss-16-alt.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jessie Alt, DuPont Pioneer”]
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