Syngenta field representatives share stories of their family farms - and how those ties help them understand growers' and retailers' needs.
From left to right: Ashley Bandoni, John Richman, Larry Huffmeyer
To this day, John Richman remembers walking out to the barn at 5 a.m. to help his dad milk the cows one last time before they left the farm. John was 6 years old.
Ashley Bandoni's grandfather was a fresh market tomato grower in California's Merced County, where she and her husband now grow 350 acres of almonds.
Growing up, Larry Huffmeyer helped his father create buffer strips to protect the waterways around their farm in Ripley County, Ind.
Along with their farm roots, these three share other bonds. Their careers include holding key positions in the Syngenta field sales organization, while also making decisions on their own family farms - the types of decisions that ag retailers and growers make every day.
Larry Huffmeyer and his son, Bill, share a passion for agriculture. Multiple Perspectives
After graduating from Virginia Tech, Richman, a district manager in the Northeast, returned to his family's farm in Salem County, N.J. His grandfather moved to the farm in 1946, and his dad continued raising grain and dairy heifers until Richman took over in 1996.
Today, he produces 265 acres of corn and soybeans. His wife is his partner and herd manager, caring for 800 milking cows and replacement heifers. They also invest in registered Holsteins for their daughter and son. "Our objective is for them to breed from these foundation animals and market the offspring to help pay for their education," Richman says.
Like his fellow growers, Richman carefully weighs the value proposition of crop inputs. He says this helps him relate to Syngenta customers. "I know what impact lodged corn or green stem can have on equipment and on my frustration level. I know what it's like to be burned by Mother Nature, to be spared by her and to be blessed by her."
Richman's neighbors provide him added perspective. "Interacting with neighbors who see me as their neighbor, and not for the sales position I hold, allows me to further understand value propositions and buying motivations."
Having begun his career working in the administration and sales departments of a national retail organization, Richman also understands the ag retailer's perspective. "I've done the same things and have had the same conversations as many of our retailers." The administrative experience taught him how retailers manage purchases, programs and incentives.
Broad Knowledge
Meanwhile, across the country, 24-year-old sales representative Ashley Bandoni serves growers in California's Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties. Almonds are the area's top crop, followed by other tree nuts, stone fruits, grapes, corn, and fruiting and leafy vegetables.
Bandoni's grandfather was a fresh market tomato producer. Her husband's grandfather emigrated to the U.S. from Italy and began producing walnuts and vegetables in Merced. The farm is now in its fourth generation, with Ashley's husband producing almonds alongside his father.
"Being married to an almond grower, I feel comfortable in my role at Syngenta where our goal is to 'think like a grower,'" Bandoni says. "I am able to relate to growers because we share that lifestyle. I strive to be a reliable resource both as a Syngenta representative and as a grower."
While still in college at California Polytechnic State University, Bandoni earned a Pest Control Adviser (PCA) license. She gained experience working with growers as a PCA for Agri-Valley Consulting in Merced before joining Syngenta last year.
Bandoni also has become a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA). While she is not selling fertilizer or soil amendments, her CCA background provides opportunities to discuss crop inputs and regulatory issues in greater depth with grower customers.
Bandoni confers with her husband on new plantings and pest control products and applications best suited for their almond farm. This also helps her better relate to the interests of the growers and retailers with whom she works.
Mario and Ashley Bandoni spend time together in their almond orchard.A Tradition of Stewardship
Like Richman and Bandoni, recently retired sales representative Larry Huffmeyer is a grower. He and his son are third- and fourth-generation growers, managing a 1,300-acre farm in Ripley County, Ind. And like his fellow growers, he stays on top of a wide variety of subjects, including government farm programs, regulatory issues and conservation programs, to name just a few.
Conservation has made a particularly strong impression on Huffmeyer. He is a no-till farmer and has long used cover crops for erosion control. He now also is experimenting with cover crop mixtures to sequester nutrients and break up soil compaction. He receives many calls from other growers about how to plant cover crops, the types of mixes to use and so on.
"Farmers exchange a lot of information among themselves," Huffmeyer says. "I share their values, and being able to communicate with them also helped me more easily interact with my customers."
In 2012, the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts named Huffmeyer Conservation Farmer of the Year. In 2013, he was named Indiana Certified Crop Adviser of the Year for the service he provides fellow growers in nutrient management, soil and water management, pest management, and crop production.
Throughout his long, successful career at Syngenta, Huffmeyer says he always listened to good advice, incorporated what made sense into his own farm and shared ideas with his grower and retailer customers. Following the same game plan are Richman and Bandoni - like-minded professionals with strong farm roots.
