Jeremy Wilson grew up on a small grain and livestock farm in Creston, Iowa, and earned a degree in agronomy from Northwest Missouri State University in 2003. He has lived in the Bloomington/Normal area for 19 years and has spent the last 13 years as an independent Pioneer sales representative, operating his own business, Wilson Seed. Through his business, Jeremy provides agronomy support and crop insurance services while enjoying the opportunity to give back to his community through various foundations. Married to his wife Holly for nearly five years, Jeremy enjoys attending sporting events, golfing, traveling, and spending time with his family and their dog, Scooter.

Jason Carr, El Paso, IL, is Soybean Technical Product Manager with Bayer Crop Science. He works with independent licensees to evaluate soybean germplasm and select varieties tailored to customer needs. Previously, he led agronomic research on corn and soybeans as a Technology Development Representative and spent a decade in soybean breeding at Monsanto, developing successful varieties in RM groups two and three. Carr holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and is an alumnus of the Illinois Soybean Association Soy Envoy program. He and his wife, Jill, have eight children.

John Pike, Marion, IL. Pike operates Pike Ag, LLC, providing agronomic consulting and contract research services for the ag industry.  He is the Southern IL Coordinator for Nutrient Research Education Council (NREC) nitrogen management research conducted by the IL Fertilizer and Chemical Association and also involved in various cover crop research projects and educational efforts. Pike has continued to collaborate with staff at U of I, So. IL University and University of Kentucky to maintain research capacity in So. Illinois related to nutrient management and water quality, along with other industry research and product testing related to corn, soybean and wheat production. He was a U of I Extension Educator from 2001 to 2012 concentrating on aspects of value-added agriculture and specialty crop marketing and has also worked as a program specialist at Southern IL University.

Jennifer Jones, Effingham, IL. Jones is the Research Agronomist for the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA). She works on behalf of Illinois soybean farmers in the development and the implementation of conservation agricultural research and outreach programs. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a minor in Crop and Soil Management, and a Master of Science degree in Agronomy from Purdue University. She is a Certified Crop Adviser with the 4R Nutrient Management Specialty certification.

Randy Niver, Potomac, IL. Niver has been a CCA since 2012 and works as a Technical Agronomist for DEKALB and Asgrow in East Central Illinois. He received his bachelor’s degree in Ag Systems Management from The Ohio State University in 2007, and his master’s degree in Crop Science from the University of Illinois in 2009.

Brendan Marshall, Monmouth, IL. Marshall helps soybean producers fine-tune their management decisions as a crop specialist for West Central FS, Inc., where he provides value-added sales and service of crop inputs including fertilization, crop protection, seed products and technical services to soybean farmers. Marshall has been a Certified Crop Adviser for 27 years and is a committed member of his community, supporting local FFA chapters by providing products for the Agricultural Education Experience Program that helps students learn about soybean best management practices. He began his 30 plus year career in the GROWMARK FS system at Stockland FS, which later became West Central FS. It was his boss at the time who encouraged Marshall to become a CCA in addition to his status as a Certified Crop Specialist.

Kevin Nelson, Ottawa, IL. Nelson has been a CCA for 24 years and works directly with farmers to help solve soybean problems and increase profitable yields on their farms. A Joliet Junior College graduate, Nelson is a dedicated learner completing over 500 hours of continuing education credits during his career. Nelson is an independent crop consultant at New Ag Center in Monee, Illinois.

Stephanie Porter, Taylorville, IL. Porter is the Outreach Agronomist for Illinois Soybean Association. She has over 20 years of experience that consists of agronomy, conservation, horticulture, plant diagnostics, and education. She has a bachelor’s degree in crop science and master’s in plant pathology from the University of Illinois. Stephanie is a Certified Crop Advisor and was named the 2018 Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Master Soybean Advisor. Previously, she utilized her diagnostic training and collaborated with University of Illinois departmental Extension Specialists to diagnose plant health problems and prepare written responses describing the diagnosis and management recommendations at the University of Illinois Plant Clinic. During the last 10 years, she has worked within the seed industry as an agronomist and soybean product manager.

Kristofer Ehler, Thomasboro, Ill. Ehler advises farmers as part of his sales and agronomy role at Ehler Brothers Seed, a 50-year-old family business serving East Central Illinois. A CCA since 2002, Ehler calls himself a “soybean nerd” due to his passion for achieving high yields. He encourages growers to plant full-season soybean varieties, conducting yield trials to demonstrate how early planting can increase yields by as many as eight bushels per acre.