Implementation

With a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Animal Science from the University of Guelph, and an MBA from William & Mary in Virginia, Sydney has extensive experience in the agriculture industry and brings knowledge from having worked across many different segments.

Most recently, Sydney served as the North American Marketing Lead for the Seed Treatment business at BASF where she led a team responsible for managing all on-seed technology. Prior to this, Sydney was the Global Marketing Manager, responsible for the global strategy of three key active ingredients. Sydney’s experience also includes various country-level marketing roles focused on providing innovative solutions for farmer customers across North America.

Sydney brings a passion for the agriculture industry, and helping farmers identify meaningful and sustainable solutions to maximize productivity.

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Austin grew up helping on the family century farm and now operates that farm with his uncle raising hogs, corn, and soybeans. Austin has seen the effects of incorporating conservation practices on his own farm and uses those experiences to help others incorporate practices on their operations. Previously, Austin worked as a Sustainability Agronomist working with producers across the country helping bring value to their operations through sustainable practices.

Austin holds a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University. He is also a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Technical Service Provider (TSP) through NRCS, covering multiple practices and states.

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Dr. Kristina Porter serves as a technical advisor for AgSpire, bringing deep expertise to our livestock focused programs.

She has spent most of her veterinary career focusing on reproduction to maximize performance and profitability for her clients. She has complemented this focus with low-stress animal handling to create the healthiest, most efficient animal possible.

Dr. Kristina has worked alongside members of the Beef Reproduction task force to develop synchronization protocols for the industry. This earned her their “Service to Industry Award” in 2022 for her contributions.

Dr. Kristina is from eastern South Dakota and returned to the family ranch after veterinary school. Dr. Kristina received her BS in Animal Science from Kansas State University in 2008 and her DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State in 2010. She completed the Executive Veterinary Program from the University of Illinois in 2023.

She and her husband, also a veterinarian, practice in Huron, South Dakota while raising their four daughters and working on the family ranch.

Derek is passionate about conservation and natural ecosystems – a passion he uses to guide his work as Senior Conservation Agronomist at AgSpire. He has a deep respect for mother nature and the symbiosis organisms have with one another in the environment. In his work, Derek seeks to harness these natural relationships for crop production so that environmental impacts can be mitigated while still producing high quality commodities for the growing world’s population.

Prior to joining AgSpire, Derek spent more than 15 years working with landowners and corporations to design, manage, and validate research trials, maximizing short- and long-term crop outputs. Always eager to learn, he is continuously expanding his knowledge of soil health, chemistry, biology, technical advancements in crop production and integrated pest management (IPM).

Derek holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from South Dakota State University and a master’s degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University. He is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), Technical Service Provider (TSP) for the NRCS, and is also a small business owner.

In his spare time, Derek enjoys the outdoors, coaching youth sports, and spending time with his family.

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Jake’s passion lies in working with farmers which began on the family farm in northeast South Dakota. His pursuit has led him to work in research and development, seed sales, market development, and – more recently – soil health and sustainable agriculture. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with farmers to help them gain a better understanding of what the soil health principles can offer and how to manage expectations.

Jake holds a B.A. in Crop and Weed Sciences from North Dakota State University and a M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from Oklahoma State University. He is a sUAV licensed pilot and a board member for the Payne County Conservation District. Additionally, Jake serves as a crop consultant.

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Sheridan Wilson is deeply passionate about cattle, the plants they graze, and the people that care for them. She grew up ranching on her family’s cow/calf operation in western Nebraska and is committed to using her knowledge and experiences to help ranchers and improve native rangelands, ensuring their continuation for future generations. 

Along with her ranching experience, Sheridan has worked with Nebraska Extension, NRCS, and Green Cover, where she advanced her skills in communication, collaboration, and sales, while gaining technical knowledge in grassland management. Sheridan is a graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Grassland Systems. 

Sheridan is excited to start her role at AgSpire as a Technical Advisor, where she can help improve agricultural systems from the ground up.  

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Growing up on a diversified livestock and row crop operation in Northeastern South Dakota, Mitchell quickly learned the importance of taking care of the environment around him. Utilizing various crops to not only boost soil health, but to find another method to graze cattle more efficiently was pivotal in his understanding of sustainable agriculture.  

Mitchell holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science & Agriculture Science from South Dakota State University. There, he was heavily involved in numerous collegiate organizations that truly shaped his college experience. Involvement on the livestock judging team, ambassador programs, student advisory councils, and co-founder of the Collegiate Cattlemen’s Club demonstrated the importance of effective leadership and cooperative activities.

Mitchell currently resides near Howard, South Dakota where he helps his family’s cow calf, feedlot, and row crop operation where regenerative agriculture is consistently at the forefront of decision making.  

He enjoys managing his own herd of Hereford cows and frequently attends livestock shows with friends, family, and customers.  

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With a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, combined with experience in the agriculture industry, Lindsey brings knowledge from having worked across many different segments of the agriculture industry.

Most recently, she served as the Processing and Inventory Lead at 44 Farms, where she managed a team focused on all sale cattle and balanced hands-on tasks with whole herd data entry responsibilities. Lindsey‘s background includes growing up in the show cattle industry, where she raised and exhibited Red Angus cattle.

With a strong passion for agriculture, she is committed to helping farmers discover meaningful and sustainable solutions to enhance productivity.

As an Enrollment Specialist, Gavan utilizes his passion for agriculture and conservation, as he helps expand producer enrollment and outreach efforts for AgSpire programs.

Gavan previously served as an Intern with AgSpire before joining full time after graduating from South Dakota State University with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

Gavan has also worked with Millborn Seeds, where he primarily worked in the warehouse packaging orders while creating new ways to operate more efficiently within the company since January of 2023. Additionally, his background includes volunteering for the NRCS of Brookings County, being an active member of the Ida County Iowa Pheasants Forever Chapter and the South Dakota State University Pheasants Forever Chapter.

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Taylor Polka joined the AgSpire team as an Enrollment Specialist focused on our Producer Programs. She assists producers in the enrollment process as well as collects and manages data.

Taylor was raised in Wisconsin where a love for animals and agriculture were fostered. Being heavily involved in 4-H and FFA created further agricultural and leadership development opportunities.

She has an Animal Science degree from the University of Wisconsin- River Falls. During her time in River Falls, she focused on animal genetics and reproduction. Previously, Taylor was managing a dairy teaching farm for a technical college. Her role encompassed animal husbandry, education, and crop planning and management.