R&D Field Sensing Intern

Farm hands west: Eco Farms names Jim Leach president, Meristem selects Matthew Deyle as vice president, Elanco Animal Health appoints Jamie Preston. Eco Farms named Jim Leach president, effective Nov. 16. Leach currently serves as the director of foodservice and Southwest sales at Oppy. He will succeed Eco Farms founder Steve Taft and work with him during the leadership transition. Taft plans to retire June 1, 2027, after more than 50 years leading the company. He co-founded the business in 1972 and helped pioneer the U.S. organic avocado market. Jim Leach (LinkedIn photo) Meristem Crop Performance named Matthew Deyle vice president of business development, overseeing growth in Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. Deyle joins the company after serving as a multi-location manager and agronomist for Nutrien Ag Solutions in south-central Nebraska. He previously held positions with Cargill and Aurora Cooperative and brings more than 25 years of agribusiness experience. Elanco Animal Health appointed Jamie Preston executive vice president and chief people officer, effective Nov. 3. Preston joins the company from Eli Lilly, where she held global human resources leadership roles for 23 years. She will succeed Dave Kinard, who plans to retire at the end of 2026. Marie Bucko has been named interim CEO of the Animal Health Institute, where she has served as chief operating officer since August 2026. She previously held animal health policy roles at Merck and USDA, including chief of staff for veterinary services. Bucko also worked at the National Pork Producers Council and FDA. Mae Sheaffer joined Corteva Agriscience as strategic marketing communications leader in October. She previously served as an adviser in poultry marketing at Elanco and held account leadership roles at Inizio Evoke, MicroMass Communications and The Sandbox Agency. The Council for Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology named Greg Lindner of Croda Agriculture chairman, succeeding Patrick Ewan of Helena Agri-Enterprises. The association will focus on EPA registration efficiency, PRIA 6, pesticide mitigation, adjuvants and biopesticides. Meagan Kaiser has joined the American Food Power Council, the senior advisory body of the Center for American Food Power. She is chief operating officer and soil scientist at Perry Agricultural Laboratory Inc. in Missouri and co-founded PAL Farm Management LLC with her husband. Kaiser is a past chair of the United Soybean Board and previously served as a legislative assistant to Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo. The Animal Health Institute has appointed Rachel Gantz as vice president of strategic communications and public affairs. She joins AHI from the Electric Power Research Institute, where she led external communications and media engagement. Gantz previously held communications leadership roles at the National Pork Producers Council and Renewable Fuels Association. Kevin Hartley joined National Veterinary Associates as director of advocacy and government relations in October. He previously spent six years at the American Veterinary Medical Association and held several legislative roles in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Mid America CropLife Association named Jenny Pagel-Guile executive director. She brings more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience and will oversee operations, member programs, education and communications across the association's 13-state region. Jenny Pagel-Guile (LinkedIn photo) Ahold Delhaize has appointed Thierry Garnier as its next president and CEO, succeeding Frans Muller. Garnier will join the company as executive vice president on Jan. 11 before taking over as president and CEO and joining the management board. Muller will retire on March 3 and work with Garnier and the supervisory board to support the leadership transition. The National FFA Organization elected six students to its 2026-27 officer team. Josie Jennings of Ohio will serve as president, Cameron Addington of Minnesota as secretary, Joshua Nelson of Idaho as western region vice president, Jazmin Palma of North Carolina as southern region vice president, Teagan Erbele of North Dakota as central region vice president and Aiden Manley of Kentucky as eastern region vice president. The team will lead the organization through a year of service and leadership development. USDA appointed four members to its Tribal Advisory Committee. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins appointed Mark Fox of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, Enjady Godfrey of Mescalero Apache Telecom, and Evan Whitley of the Choctaw Nation to three-year terms. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, appointed Bradford Hall, president of Blackfeet Community College, to serve the remainder of a term ending in December 2026. The Pet Food Institute has announced its 2027-2028 Board of Directors officers, led by Reed Howlett, CEO of Wellness Pet Company, as chair. Liz Mascolo, segment president of North America Pet at General Mills, will serve as vice chair; Yvonne Hsu, president of Hill's Pet Nutrition, as treasurer; and Nicki Baty, president of Freshpet, as secretary. Scott Salmon, chief commercial officer of Simmons Foods, will serve as immediate past chair. Veronique Lagrange, founding executive director of the California Dairy Innovation Center, will retire at the end of 2026 after more than six years leading the organization. She will remain with the California Milk Advisory Board through the first quarter of 2027 to support the transition. Before joining the center, Lagrange spent more than 20 years with the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Former Farm Progress editor Todd Fitchette died Oct. 23 from complications following an unexpected illness, according to a post shared by his sister, Julie Henrie. Fitchette spent nearly 13 years with Farm Progress, serving as editor of Western Farm Press and covering agriculture across the western United States. He later worked as a freelance content writer focused on western specialty crop production and issues. He earned a bachelor's degree in information and communications studies from California State University, Chico. Hannah Guthoerl Editorial Intern

JT Agro and Corteva expand access to Othos fungicide in Poland. 07 Oct 2026 Partnership accelerates access to disease management solutions for Polish cereal growers JT Agro, a specialist crop protection partner, and Corteva, a leading global agricultural science and innovation company, today announced the launch of Othos, a new liquid fungicide formulation debuting in Poland under the Corteva brand, with expansion planned across Europe. This collaboration enables more growers in Europe to access Othos, a high-quality formulation of two consolidated active ingredients tested and validated by Corteva. Othos uses a dual mode of action fungicide technology to control cereal diseases like powdery mildew, rusts, and Fusarium head blight. Building on an existing partnership between the two companies, the partnership reinforces a shared commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality crop protection solutions that support growers with consistent performance and supply continuity. Jaitej Walia, Director at JT Crop, said: "Farmers need more than performance alone - they need confidence in continuity, supply reliability, and long-term product availability. Othos demonstrates how a focused, product-led partnership can meet those expectations by combining JT Agro's formulation and manufacturing expertise with Corteva's strong commercial presence in key markets. "What makes this collaboration particularly effective is its flexibility. It allows us to work together on selected products across regions, adapting to local agronomic needs while maintaining consistent standards of quality and supply." Murilo Fernandes, Fungicides Marketing Leader, EMEA at Corteva, said: "By collaborating with JT Agro on Othos, Farming is expanding choice and value for farmers while strengthening its fungicide offering in Poland. Othos complement existing Corteva solutions, providing an important resistant management tool and helping growers ensure balanced control of diseases. This agreement reflects a broader evolution in how Farming is building its European portfolio, selectively integrating complementary solutions through partnerships alongside its proprietary innovation pipeline. "Our collaboration with JT Agro enables a flexible supply and commercial model - including co-pack and tailored packaging approaches - that supports faster portfolio expansion while maintaining the reliability and standards expected from Corteva." Under the agreement, JT Agro will manufacture and supply Othos as a formulated liquid product from its JT Grosvenor facility in Huddersfield, UK, while Corteva will lead marketing and distribution in Poland through its established commercial network. Othos is already registered in Poland and will be available commercially from 2027. Registrations of Othos in additional European markets remain under regulatory review, with further expansion being assessed across selected territories based on agronomic demand, market fit, and local approval timelines. The collaboration between JT Agro and Corteva continues to expand across selected European markets, with additional registered solutions and ongoing evaluation of further opportunities across the region.