Our advisory panel of farmers and certified crop advisers works to ensure that NutrientStar is informed by, and meeting the needs of, the agricultural community.
These farmers and agronomists advise the NutrientStar team on how the program can be useful for their colleagues and fellow farmers. They share ideas for how to make NutrientStar data clear and accessible to a variety of audiences, and recommend ways to reach more farmers with NutrientStar information.
Agronomist
Ceres Solutions
Betsy Bower is an agronomist at Ceres Solutions, a cooperative crops retailer with locations around western, north-central and northern Indiana, as well as Michigan.
For nearly 25 years, she has worked with farmers to improve nutrient management and pest control in their cropping systems. She has also focused her work with customers on water conservation in irrigated and fertigated systems, as well as on cover crops.
Bower holds a B.S. in Agronomy from Purdue University and an M.S. in Agronomy from University of Nebraska.
Farmer
Brandon Hunnicutt is a fifth generation farmer, who currently farms with his dad and brother near Giltner, Nebraska. They raise corn, soybeans, popcorn and seed corn.
Hunnicutt is currently a Farmer Director on the Nebraska Corn Board, Vice Chair for the Freedom to Operate Action Team for the National Corn Growers Association, and team lead for the Middle East/Africa Team for the US Grains Council. He is also a board member of the Hamilton County Farm Bureau and Hamilton County Corn Growers, and a member of the Nebraska Soybean Association and the Agriculture Builders of Nebraska. Previously, he was President of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, President and Secretary of the Nebraska Agriculture Technologies Association, and Chairman of the Grower Services Action Team for the National Corn Growers Association.
He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Agribusiness and has also completed post-graduate work in technology, plant breeding, leadership, communications and science.
Farmer / Consultant
Three Rivers Ag Consulting
Frank Moore farms no-till soybeans and strip-till corn on nearly 2000 acres near Cresco, Iowa. He also operates Three Rivers Ag Consulting, serving farmers and landowners in Iowa and Minnesota. He is a Certified Crop Adviser with a nutrient management endorsement and a NRCS Technical Service Provider in Iowa and Minnesota.
He was employed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for 15 years as an Environmental Specialist and implemented soil and water conservation practices in targeted watersheds. He was selected as a Farm Environmental Leader by the State of Iowa. And along with his father, he is the past winner of the Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year award.
He is active in numerous agricultural associations and is past President of the Northeast Iowa Research Farm, participates in the Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network, Iowa Independent Crop Consultants, and served as a Howard Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner for 15 years.
Moore graduated from Iowa State University with degrees in Agronomy and Animal Science and an M.S. in Professional Agriculture.
Farmer / Consultant
Nester Ag LLC
Joe Nester is the owner of Nester Ag LLC. He has been involved in agricultural management for 35 years. Before starting Nester Ag in 1993 he managed a large retail fertilizer business.
Nester is a past president of the Ohio Association of Independent Crop Consultants, past Board Chairman of the Ohio Certified Crop Advisers, and a Director with Brookside Laboratories, Inc.
He has received the National No-Till Consultant Award from No-Till Farmer magazine, as well as the Ohio No-till Innovator Award from the Ohio No-Till Council.
Nester studied agronomy at Northwest State College and has also taken courses in business administration.
Farmer / President
Nidlinger Farms Incorporated
John Nidlinger is President of Nidlinger Farms Incorporated, a multi-generation grain farm located in northeast Indiana producing corn, soybeans and wheat.
John is currently an Advisory member for The Center for Commercial Agriculture at Purdue University. Previously, he served on US Senator Richard Lugar’s personal staff as his Agricultural Liaison for 10 years and as the State Executive Director of the Indiana Farm Service Agency for 6 years.
He is a graduate of Purdue University. John has continued his education by attending Texas A&M’s Executive Program for Agriculture Producers and annually returns for the alumni meeting AAPEX.
Director of Agronomy
MFA Incorporated
Jason Weirich is Director of Agronomy for MFA Incorporated in Columbia, Missouri. MFA is a regional farm supply and marketing cooperative serving farmer/owners in Missouri and adjacent states.
Weirich’s responsibilities with MFA include employee training, variety testing, crop consulting, applied agronomic research and new product evaluation through field trials.
He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at University of Missouri.
Weirich graduated from Oklahoma Panhandle State University with degrees in Agricultural Business and Agronomy. He also holds an M.S. in Weed Science from Oklahoma State University and a PhD in Weed Science with minor in Agricultural Economics from Mississippi State University.