Success in the field goes beyond putting the best seed in the ground. Knowing what, when and where to plant has just as much, if not more, impact on achieving maximum yields. For that reason, we’ve employed hundreds of dependable sales team members across the country who work diligently to serve each of our grower customers so that they can get the most out of their Stine® products.
But to do their jobs effectively, our sales team needs support, too. Enter Stine’s agronomy team.
Our agronomy team comprises of five knowledgeable and dedicated agronomists with decades of experience in the ag industry, many of whom started their careers as Stine sales team members. Their primary role is to provide the best agronomic resources, training and support to our sales team to set them up for success. This, in turn, allows our sales team to help their grower customers make the best agronomic decisions for their operations.
Meet our agronomy team and learn how they deliver value to our sales team and growers across the United States.
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Todd Schomburg, director of agronomy
As director of agronomy, Todd works closely with our corn and soybean product managers to develop product and agronomic information for our sales team. He also oversees Stine’s Corn Agronomy Department, where he leads the company’s efforts to supply our sales force with the corn product training and agronomic information they need to place the best hybrids on the right acres for our grower customers.
“Todd has been a dedicated leader for Stine for more than 20 years,” says Myron Stine, company president. “From his start as an independent sales rep to his move to regional sales agronomist and now director of agronomy, he continues to find new and innovative ways to improve our agronomic offerings and is dedicated to helping our sales team and grower customers succeed.”
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Tony Lenz, corn technical agronomist
As a corn technical agronomist, Tony provides agronomic support to the northern region of our territory, from the Dakotas to Minnesota to northern Iowa. His focus is to help regional sales agronomists (RSAs) and their sales teams by providing training on corn products and hybrid positioning. Tony uses his experience and expertise to help increase corn sales and get growers the highest-yielding hybrids that match their field conditions.
“Tony has been an outstanding representative of Stine since joining our team as a regional sales agronomist in 1999,” says Myron. “He has a wealth of agronomic knowledge on both the corn and soybean sides, and he’s been a great resource for our sales force in the northern Corn Belt and beyond.”
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Bill Kessinger, corn technical agronomist
As a tenured Stine employee, Certified Crop Advisor and Certified Professional Agronomist, Bill Kessinger brings incredible value to our sales team.
“We’re fortunate to have Bill on our team representing the Eastern region of the United States. From the eastern Corn Belt to the East Coast, Bill is well-positioned to support our RSAs and ISRs in the field. He knows a lot about agronomy and our products — we’re lucky to have him,” says Myron.
As a corn technical agronomist, Bill helps Stine RSAs and independent sales representatives (ISRs) in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and up and down the East Coast with tough issues in the field and with selecting the best hybrids, varieties, and trait platforms to control weeds and maximize yield potential.
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Tom Larson, corn technical agronomist
In 2021, Iowa native and third-generation farmer Tom Larson joined the Stine team. As a corn technical agronomist, Tom serves as an agronomic advisor for Stine grower customers, dealers and sales team members in our northern and eastern territories.
“He may be newer to Stine, but he’s not new to agriculture. Tom has more than 30 years of experience in farming, agronomy and agri-business. He’s committed to supporting our sales force throughout his regions and he’s always on the road training our team on the latest innovations and products. He’s a great asset to our agronomy team,” says Myron.
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Ben Shepherd, field agronomist
North Dakota native Ben Shepherd joined the Stine agronomy department as a technical field agronomist in November 2021. Before landing a full-time position with Stine, Ben served as a part-time employee supporting Stine’s plot program in his region in North Dakota. Now, as a technical field agronomist, Ben supports RSAs and ISRs in Stine’s northern territories, including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. He also continues to work closely with the plot program in the region.
“Ben has an outstanding background in agronomy and spent some time as a crop consultant before landing at Stine. His experiences and knowledge serve our sales force well, which will, in turn, help our grower customers troubleshoot any problems in their field,” says Myron.
Interested in connecting with our agronomy or sales team? Find your local Stine representative on our Find Stine page. And follow along on our Ask the Agronomist blog to see the latest agronomic tips and recommendations from our expert agronomy team.