In this episode of the Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast, the crew sits down with Dr. Beatrix Haggard, associate professor in Oklahoma State University’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Dr. Haggard teaches many of the core plant science courses in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, including a 600-student intro class, applied plant science, crops judging, and senior seminar. She shares how her path ran from FFA land judging and soil science to a Delta research station in Louisiana, and then to a teaching-focused, tenure-track role at OSU. The conversation digs into how today’s students learn, why judging teams are about much more than trophies, and how OSU’s agronomy program now draws students from across Oklahoma, the West Coast and the Midwest—many without traditional farm backgrounds. Along the way, you’ll hear about creative memory tricks (like “all cats manage kittens ammonium naturally”), 15-hour van rides, first flights for students heading to contests, and why “learning how to learn” may be the most important skill OSU graduates carry back to farms, ranches and ag businesses across the region.