Abby brings fifteen years of experience in climate change mitigation strategy to her role as Director of Environmental Assets at AgSpire, where she is responsible for ensuring alignment between emerging GHG accounting standards and on-the-ground realities of farmer and rancher implementation.
Previously, as Senior Manager of Supply Chain Innovation at Verra, she co-managed the Scope 3 Program, driving credible, transparent emissions reductions and carbon removals within supply chains. As Senior Climate Advisor at SustainCERT, she advised multinational food and beverage corporations on intervention-based emissions accounting and market-based verification solutions, serving as lead technical author of the Verification Requirements for Value Chain Interventions, v0.91. Her corporate experience includes working as a sustainability consultant and in-house climate change mitigation expert in the dairy sector, where she authored the built on GHG-P, Scope 1 & 2 GHG Inventory Guidance for Dairy Processors.
Abby holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale School of the Environment, specializing in corporate sustainability strategy and agricultural sciences. Her commitment to community-driven food systems is demonstrated through her 12-year involvement in co-creating an agroforestry project in Togo, which she is currently expanding to enhance the systems’ biodiversity.
Her international experience includes serving as a US Fulbright Fellow in Indonesia, a Natural Resource Management US Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, and supporting a U.N FAO initiative on technical training for small-holder farmers. Her contributions to environmental sustainability have been recognized through fellowships with the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps and World Wildlife Fund in Singapore.
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 Senior Project Manager, Clay helps design and manage client projects focused on amplifying regenerative agriculture across the country.
Clay’s passion for regenerative agriculture stems from growing up on a 120-year-old cattle ranch near the Oklahoma panhandle. As the 5th generation to work on the ranch, he learned the importance of stewarding land for the next generation while providing nutritious food to the community.
Prior to joining AgSpire, Clay was a Senior Business Analyst at The Context Network, a management consulting firm dedicated to the food and agriculture industry. There, he gained broad exposure to the various sectors of the industry, including genetics, crop inputs, equipment, livestock production, and retail sustainability strategy.
Clay holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from The University of Tulsa.
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.
As the Senior Director of Finance and Operations at AgSpire, Andrea leverages over 12 years of experience in financial management, strategic planning, and operational leadership. Her extensive background across diverse industries enables her to excel in crafting robust financial strategies and enhancing operational efficiency to drive sustainable growth.
Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from California State University and a master’s degree from Capella University.
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.
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
Sarah Roderick serves as the Event & Outreach Coordinator for AgSpire, with a focus on expanding the reach of our SustainAg Network Initiative. With a passion for agriculture and sustainability, she looks forward to finding innovative solutions for producers and consumers.
This passion was created by growing up on a cattle ranch in West Texas, where she learned the highs and lows within the cattle industry. This gave her a solid foundation in the agriculture sector and left her with a desire to improve the industry.
Sarah has previously worked for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture where she worked as the Communications & Events Student Assistant, as well as an intern for 44 Farms/Prime Pursuits.
Just recently, Sarah graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) with a double major in Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Business/Economics. While at NMSU, Sarah was a proud member of the National Agri-Marketing Association team where her team won the national title in 2023. She also served as student body treasurer for NMSU’s student government and held other various leadership roles.
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.
