A day in the life: Get to know our Retail crop consultants

From mine faces to offices to growers’ fields, the work of Nutrien employees looks vastly different.

When it comes to our crop consultants, their daily tasks can vary greatly based on the regions where they work. Bayley, Corey, DeDe, Leslie and Nolon share what it’s like working as crop consultants across North America and how helping growers fuels their passion for agriculture.

Bayley’s childhood was spent on a farm in south central Saskatchewan, which inspired her to pursue a life and career centered around agriculture. While pursuing a degree in agribusiness in university, she worked as a summer student for various ag companies, which she credits as the best experience for kicking off her career in the industry.

For the past six years, Bayley has been a Crop Production Advisor at Nutrien – while also working on her own farm with her husband.

“My passion for agriculture began at a young age, and now to be able to support farmers every day is hugely rewarding for me because I see the challenges that they face across the industry on a daily basis,” says Bayley. “My learnings at work also make me a better resource on our family farm.”

Working in the Canadian Region, Bayley largely focuses on canola and wheat, along with barley, peas, corn, oats, flax and faba beans. Her day-to-day tasks look different depending on the season, but the one constant is that her work revolves around her growers.

“Whether it’s taking phone calls with them to answer questions, checking their fields, visiting their farms or researching products that might be a good fit for their operations, I spend lots of time talking with growers and sharing knowledge,” she says. “By devoting my time to learning more about my growers and agriculture, I can continually be a source of information and help further advance their farms.”

Corey developed a passion for the industry while pursuing a degree in agriculture during college. To supplement his studies, he completed two internships with Nutrien Ag Solutions, and upon graduating, was asked to return to the Hendersonville location where he’s been working as a Crop Consultant for the past seven years.

“One of the biggest highlights of this job is the growers that I get to work with. A lot of them have become good friends of mine, and it’s exciting to be part of their success” says Corey. “My coworkers are another highlight – they’ve taught me everything I know.”

One of the first things Corey learned about working in the South Region is how dispersed the fields are.

“Being located in the Appalachian Mountains, the fields are small and very spread out,” he explains. “Although the territory that I cover is big, I love that it comes with a variety of crops, soil types and weather. Every day is different, which keeps things interesting. One day I’ll be working in Hendersonville in an apple orchard and the next day I’ll be in east Tennessee in a tomato field.”

Due to the diversity, Corey assesses each farm individually to help optimize fertility.

“Depending on the grower, their farm and the problems they’re trying to solve, that can lead to changes that range from adding a product or two to overhauling their entire fertility program,” he says. “When a grower tells me they’ve had a good year and their yields have increased, that’s so fulfilling and motivating, and it reminds me why I do this.”

Growing up on a farm in northeast Missouri, DeDe loved agriculture from a young age, but wanted to try something different. Out of high school she began studying dental assisting and hygiene, but just four months before she was set to graduate, the school she was attending closed.

“It was a tough break at the time, but it taught me a lot about rolling with the punches,” says DeDe. “I decided to come home to agriculture, and things worked out exactly the way they should have.”

DeDe returned to school, this time graduating with a degree in plant science, and right out of university began working at Nutrien as a Crop Consultant in the Corn Belt Region, which she’s been doing for the past four years.

“I have the pleasure of working with innovative growers who are willing to try new things,” she says. “My goal is always to help them become more profitable and sustainable, but at the end of the day, growing those relationships is the best part of my job.”

Keeping her growers top of mind is how DeDe navigates the ever-changing industry. She works with many different technologies to help improve yield goals, product performance and sustainability practices. With a focus on corn, soybeans and wheat, DeDe embraces digital tools to make variable rate recommendations on fertilizer based on soil data, yield data or satellite imagery.

“Within Nutrien’s digital hub, we have so many tools at our disposal to help customers, and I think we’re more effective and efficient when we embrace new technologies,” she says. “My passion for agriculture is rooted in helping growers’ operations succeed, prosper and remain sustainable so that we can continue doing this in the future.”

When Leslie moved to the eastern shore of Virginia, she recalls there being three lines of work available in such a rural area: chicken houses, seafood and agriculture.

“Agriculture smelled the best,” she jokes. “Growing up, I would spend the summers with my grandparents and uncles who worked in ag in North Carolina, and then when I moved to Virginia and pursued a degree in biology, agriculture seemed like the most appropriate career to go into.”

Now, with 33 years of experience as a Crop Consultant, Leslie is an expert in helping growers in the East Region become more successful.

One of the challenges of farming in this area is the geography. Keller is located between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, and while a peninsula offers a good climate for growing crops, the sandy soils mean that nutrient management and irrigation are critical because nutrients and water can disappear quickly.

This time of year, Leslie is focused on helping growers plan for next year’s crops, which include corn, wheat and soybeans, along with a significant acreage of potatoes and some snapbeans and tomatoes. Her favorite part of the job is developing customized plans for growers to ensure their needs are met.

“I understand where farmers are coming from, and I’ve learned as much from them as they have from me,” she says. “These growers trust me, and it’s such an honor. It’s nice to feel like you’re not just a sales representative, you’re someone there to help find a solution. I believe the digital tools and technologies, management and people at Nutrien have helped me to achieve that level of trust with my growers.”

Growing up, Nolon began learning the basics of caring for plants on ranches run by his friends’ families. In college, he majored in business administration and minored in plant science, which allowed him to pursue a Pest Control Advisor (PCA) license.

After gaining a few years of experience in fields and product distribution, Nolon began working directly with growers and has been doing that with Nutrien’s team in Madera since 2018.

A major concern for the West Region right now is pest control. Nolon works closely with his growers to ensure their crops are sanitized and protected against pests and diseases.

“One of the most fulfilling parts of my job is to see growers succeed. The relationship between a grower and their PCA is all about trust and doing everything you can to support them,” says Nolon. “My philosophy is to strengthen the soil through nutrition to make crops healthy and happy so they can fight off diseases and pests.”

According to Nolon, one of the most interesting aspects of California agriculture is the diversity of crops. He primarily works with almonds, wine grapes and pistachios. This year, the West Region has experienced wetter weather than usual, which has allowed growers to produce crops that don’t perform as well in drier years, such as corn and tomatoes.

“As you establish relationships with customers, you become a business partner – when they grow, you grow,” he says. “The best thing about this industry is the relationships. I consider many of my customers friends outside of work and it’s been a joy to watch their families and businesses grow.”