Jeff Furness: Leading the way in environmental stewardship

Jeff Furness, Senior Environmental Scientist, took his childhood love for nature and turned it into a career dedicated to environmental stewardship at Nutrien.

"I grew up in a small town in western New York State in a fruit, row crop and dairy area," Jeff recalls. “During my childhood, I was always exploring the woods and wetlands around my friends’ farms, which sparked an early interest in wildlife and natural habitats.”

This fascination led him to pursue a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology with a minor in Crop and Soil Science at Michigan State University. His educational journey continued at Kansas State University, where he earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Biology.

Despite his deep love for nature, Jeff didn’t initially envision a career in the industry, but fate had other plans. He came across a job posting at one of Nutrien’s legacy companies in North Carolina seeking an individual with his particular environmental expertise. Jeff was hired, marking the beginning of a long 36-year career with Nutrien.

As a Senior Environmental Scientist at Nutrien’s Phosphate facility in Aurora, North Carolina, Jeff's responsibilities are diverse and crucial for the organization’s environmental stewardship. He obtains environmental regulatory permits for various operations, oversees consultants and academic personnel to ensure permit compliance, and participates in wetland restoration and mined land reclamation projects. One of the most rewarding aspects of Jeff's job is witnessing the transformation and restoration of disturbed land back into functioning habitats for wildlife. Under his guidance, Nutrien has successfully restored more than 10,000 acres of wetlands, supporting environments for ducks, wading birds, turtles, turkeys, deer, songbirds and small mammals.

Jeff believes that environmental restoration is critical to ensuring that future generations can meet their needs.

"To me, sustainability means meeting our own societal needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs," he says. “I’m an advocate for the integration of sustainable practices in both industrial and agricultural sectors, transforming land use perspectives and promoting shifts in personal consumption.”

Jeff also offers a reminder of the importance of sustainable agriculture to farmers, "Most farmers really care about the land and take part in conservation practices to make sure that it remains healthy for future generations."

Jeff’s perspective underscores the importance of recognizing the efforts of those working tirelessly to drive both agricultural production and environmental restoration.

"For more than three decades, I’ve been able to watch landscapes transform,” he says. “I’ve been tremendously enjoying my career here at Aurora and am grateful to be involved in this restoration work.”