You won’t find Jeffrey Wiley sitting behind a desk.
“I always have to be doing something,” Jeffrey says. “I can’t sit still. If I’m not working with my hands, I start to get anxious.”
His current project is his farmhouse in Berlin, Wisconsin, which he’s remodeling (next up: flooring) and figuring out along the way. “I love troubleshooting,” he says. “If I can’t figure it out, I’ll call someone who knows, then I’ll do it from there.”
When he’s not working on his house, he’s maintaining John Deere equipment at Riesterer & Schnell‘s Hortonville shop. He’s also enrolled in the Agriculture Equipment Apprentice program at Fox Valley Technical College.
Between school and his job at Riesterer & Schnell, Jeffrey is learning the ins and outs of modern ag machinery—skills that keep farms running and food on tables. For him, it’s not just a career; it’s a calling that connects people, technology and the land.
The ag industry is always evolving, and it’s really cool to be part of that.
—Jeffrey Wiley
Jeffrey’s path to agriculture wasn’t exactly straight. Growing up in a military family, he moved frequently—England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C.—before settling for a while in Marissa, Illinois. His father, a retired Air Force aircraft technician, passed down a love of machines and a hands-on work ethic.
“I was given a basic set of tools and a toolbox,” Jeffrey recalls. “My parents told me, ‘If you need help, we’ll give you help—but we’re not going to hold your hand.’”
After high school, Jeffrey took a field technician job with Del Monte Foods in Markesan, Wisconsin, maintaining tractors and trucks during harvest season. When the company went bankrupt in 2024, he faced a crossroads. Instead of heading home, he stayed. “I figured rather than turn tail, I’d embrace it and keep going,” he says. That decision eventually led him to Riesterer & Schnell and an apprenticeship through FVTC.
Now in his third semester, Jeffrey spends part of each week in FVTC’s labs and the rest on the job. It’s a schedule that fits him perfectly. “When I get to school, I clock in. When I’m done, I go to work,” he explains. “It’s all part of the same learning experience.”
Through the apprenticeship, Jeffrey earns while he learns—building technical expertise and earning college credits along the way. His instructors, he says, bring the industry to life with their experience. “They’ve been there. They tell you about real breakdowns, the kind that take a week to figure out,” he says. “It makes you think more, and you remember it.”
$78,385
average annual salary
6 months
after graduation for Agriculture Equipment Technology grads
He’s also learning important skills like time management, patience and teamwork. “You learn all of that here,” he says. “Fox Valley Tech has opened a lot of doors for me. It’s helped me see that what we do really matters.”
On the job, Jeffrey enjoys the variety of his workday. “I never know what’s coming my way,” he says. “One day it’s a big tractor, the next it’s a lawnmower. But at least I’m turning a wrench, not sitting behind a desk. That’s what I love.”
And he’s making an impact. “Jeffrey brings a sense of dedication to work every day,” says Jeff Ruedinger, Riesterer & Schnell service manager. “He’s always interested in learning new things, how they work and why. He’s constantly looking for ways to improve his skills.”
Jeffrey is on track to complete his apprenticeship this spring, but he’s in no rush to leave the industry he’s come to love. “The ag industry is always evolving, and it’s really cool to be part of that,” he says. “The world runs on ag. If we don’t learn to work with the environment and take care of it, we’re not going to be here for long as a civilization.”
FVTC + Riesterer & Schnell: Growing Talent Together
Employers are a key component in apprenticeships. They sponsor the student by paying their wage as well as the cost of their education. It works well for employers because they can have qualified employees, and it works well for the apprentice because they are gaining skills without having to pay out of pocket.
“I’ve worked with FVTC since I started here 11 years ago, and we’ve had a great relationship,” says Service Manager Jeff Ruedinger. “I have had many students over the years that have gone through our sponsorship program for the two-year degree program. Several of them still work in Hortonville today.”
For the FVTC Agriculture team, the partnership is about shared goals and working together to improve the ag industry. “Riesterer & Schnell has been an outstanding partner,” says Jennifer McIntosh, Associate Dean-Agriculture, Manufacturing & Engineering Technologies. “They were the original collaborator in launching our Agriculture Equipment Apprenticeship and played a key role in getting it off the ground. Their continued support reflects an appreciation for the education FVTC provides, and they actively encourage their employees to pursue further learning opportunities.”
