Where Agriculture Meets the Art of Growing
When I tell people I have a Bachelor of Agriculture but spend most of my time helping home gardeners troubleshoot their tomato blight, I get some interesting looks.
The truth is, my journey from commercial crop fields to backyard raised beds has given me a unique perspective that bridges two worlds that shouldn’t be separate—the science of large-scale agriculture and the joy of intimate garden spaces.
I’m Jake Wheeler, the voice behind HarvestSavvy, where we explore everything from companion planting in small spaces to soil microbiology that applies whether you’re managing 500 acres or five containers on a balcony.
My mission is simple: translate the principles that make commercial agriculture successful into practical wisdom that transforms how you grow at home.
Roots in Nebraska Soil
Growing up in southeastern Nebraska’s agricultural heartland, I was surrounded by corn and soybean fields that stretched to every horizon. My grandfather farmed 800 acres of prime cropland, and I spent summers learning that successful growing starts long before you plant a seed.
By age 12, I could identify nutrient deficiencies in corn by leaf color and knew that soil pH wasn’t just a number—it was the foundation of everything.
But it was my grandmother’s vegetable garden that first captured my imagination. While Grandpa managed his fields with precision agriculture technology, Grandma practiced what I now recognize as integrated pest management in her quarter-acre plot.
She taught me to read plants like books, to understand that a slight curl in a bean leaf might signal aphid pressure, and that succession planting wasn’t just for commercial operations—it was how you kept fresh lettuce on the table all season.
Academic Foundation, Real-World Application
When I enrolled in the University of Nebraska’s Agriculture program, I was determined to understand the science behind what I’d observed growing up. Dr. Sarah Chen’s soil science courses opened my eyes to the intricate relationships between soil biology, nutrient cycling, and plant health.
I learned that mycorrhizal fungi aren’t just beneficial—they’re essential partners that can increase phosphorus uptake by 300% or more.
My senior research project focused on cover crop rotations in vegetable production systems, where I discovered that a well-planned cover crop could eliminate the need for synthetic nitrogen applications while suppressing weeds more effectively than herbicides.
This research, later published in the Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, became the foundation for how I approach both large-scale farming and small garden management today.
During my undergraduate years, I completed internships with both Midwest Family Farms cooperative and the university’s experimental vegetable plots.
Working 40-acre tomato fields taught me about disease pressure management and the critical timing of interventions, while the research plots showed me how university-tested varieties performed under controlled conditions.
I learned that success in growing anything—whether it’s 1,000 acres of soybeans or a dozen pepper plants—comes down to understanding plant physiology, environmental factors, and timing.
From Fields to Focused Growing
After graduation, I spent five years as an agricultural consultant, primarily working with corn and soybean operations across the Midwest. I helped farmers optimize their nutrient management programs, troubleshoot pest issues, and implement sustainable practices that improved both yields and soil health.
During this time, I became certified in crop scouting and integrated pest management, skills that proved invaluable when I later started helping gardeners diagnose everything from bacterial spot on tomatoes to club root in brassicas.
The consulting work was rewarding, but I found myself increasingly drawn to the precision and intimacy possible in smaller growing spaces. In commercial agriculture, we manage averages across large areas.
In a home garden, you can optimize every square foot, creating microclimates and plant communities that would be impossible to replicate at scale.
The turning point came when I helped a neighbor troubleshoot their struggling vegetable garden. Applying soil testing protocols from my agricultural background, I discovered their pH was 8.2—alkaline enough to lock up iron and cause the yellowing they were seeing in their tomatoes and peppers.
A simple sulfur amendment transformed their garden, and I realized that many home gardeners were struggling with issues that agricultural science had solved decades ago.
The Science of Successful Gardening
What excites me most about gardening is how it allows us to apply sophisticated agricultural principles at an intimate scale. Take companion planting, for instance. While large-scale agriculture often relies on monocultures for efficiency, home gardeners can create polycultures that mirror natural ecosystems.
When I plant basil near tomatoes, I’m not just following tradition—I’m creating an environment where the basil’s aromatic compounds can help repel thrips and aphids while potentially improving the tomatoes’ flavor compounds.
My agricultural background has taught me to think systematically about garden challenges. When a gardener tells me their cucumbers “always get powdery mildew,” I don’t just recommend a fungicide spray. Instead, we look at air circulation, humidity levels, plant spacing, and resistant varieties.
Often, the solution involves multiple strategies: choosing resistant cultivars like ‘Suyo Long,’ improving air circulation through proper spacing and pruning, and applying preventive biologicals like Bacillus subtilis at the first sign of favorable conditions.
I’m particularly passionate about soil health because it’s where my agricultural and gardening knowledge intersect most powerfully.
Whether you’re managing 500 acres or a 4×8 raised bed, the principles remain the same: maintain soil organic matter, support beneficial microbial communities, ensure proper drainage, and feed the soil rather than just the plants.
I’ve helped gardeners transform clay hardpan into thriving growing medium using the same cover crop and organic matter strategies that regenerative farmers use to build soil carbon.
Translating Complex Science into Garden Success
My approach to teaching revolves around making agricultural science accessible without dumbing it down. When I explain why crop rotation matters, I don’t just say “it prevents disease.”
I help gardeners understand that many soilborne pathogens are host-specific, that rotating between plant families breaks these pathogen cycles, and that incorporating grasses and legumes can actually improve soil structure and fertility for future vegetable crops.
I’ve found that gardeners are hungry for the “why” behind recommendations. They want to understand that when we talk about degree days for pest emergence, we’re giving them a tool to predict when aphids or squash bugs are likely to appear, allowing for timely interventions.
When I explain photosynthesis and how different light spectrums affect plant development, suddenly their struggles with leggy seedlings or poor flowering make sense.
Current Growing and Continuous Learning
Today, I garden on two acres in central Nebraska, where I maintain both production beds for my family’s food and experimental plots for testing techniques I share with the HarvestSavvy community.
My current garden includes 30 raised beds, two high tunnels, and what I call my “failure laboratory”—space dedicated to testing new varieties, growing methods, and integrated pest management strategies.
This season, I’m comparing three different mulching strategies for tomato production, testing the efficacy of banker plants for aphid control in pepper crops, and evaluating how different mycorrhizal inoculants affect plant establishment and yield.
These ongoing experiments keep me connected to the cutting edge of both agricultural research and practical gardening applications.
I maintain active memberships in both the American Society of Agronomy and the Garden Writers Association, regularly attend agricultural conferences, and collaborate with extension specialists to stay current with emerging research.
The intersection of academic research and practical application continues to evolve, and I’m committed to bringing the most current, science-based information to the gardening community.
Growing Forward Together
What drives me every day is the opportunity to help gardeners achieve better results by understanding the science behind successful growing.
Whether you’re a beginning gardener trying to keep your first tomato plants alive or an experienced grower looking to optimize your integrated pest management program, my goal is to provide you with tools and knowledge that make sense from both a scientific and practical perspective.
At HarvestSavvy, we believe that great gardening combines the best of agricultural science with the creativity and attention to detail that’s possible in smaller spaces.
When you understand why certain practices work—not just that they work—you become empowered to adapt techniques to your specific conditions, troubleshoot problems systematically, and ultimately grow better food with more confidence and less frustration.
Join me as we explore the fascinating intersection of agricultural wisdom and garden artistry, where every growing season brings new opportunities to apply science, creativity, and patience to create abundance in our own backyard spaces.