Field Agronomist
This role connects contracted growers, field conditions, harvest timing, and plant production for a large-scale vegetable processing operation. You will manage assigned acres from contracting and planting through crop scouting and harvest, helping ensure peas, sweet corn, and carrots reach the plant at the right quality and time.
The best fit is an agriculture professional who is comfortable building trust with growers, making practical crop recommendations, working independently across a broad territory, and staying highly visible in the field during the growing season. A degree in agronomy, crop science, or a related field is valuable, but directly relevant farm, crop-production, or agronomy experience can also qualify.
Location: Glencoe, MN
Schedule: May-September requires heavy field coverage, including seven-day-per-week availability during the growing and harvest season; days or weekends off are handled case by case. October-April follows a four-day schedule, Monday-Thursday, with occasional overnight travel for training or meetings.
Work Setting: Onsite and field-based
Role Type: Direct hire
Openings: 1
Compensation: Starting around $60,000 annually for an entry-level candidate, with higher compensation based on relevant experience (Likely 60-80K), plus a 5% annual bonus tied to plant performance and safety.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage with multiple plan options
- Health Savings Account eligibility with employer contribution
- Flexible Spending Account options
- 401(k) with employer contribution after one year
- Company-paid and supplemental life insurance options
- Short-term and long-term disability coverage
- Ten paid holidays each year
- Paid time off that begins accruing immediately and increases with tenure
- Employee Assistance Program, legal services, and additional voluntary benefits
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain productive relationships with growers, landowners, equipment dealers, material suppliers, and local agriculture partners.
- Support crop-acre contracting and help ensure the operation has the acreage and crop supply required for production.
- Issue seed and coordinate field readiness, planting activity, field staking, mapping, and crop records.
- Scout assigned fields for weeds, insects, disease, crop stress, stand quality, maturity, and other conditions that could affect yield or harvest timing.
- Provide practical fertilizer, crop-protection, and spraying recommendations within company practices and applicable regulations.
- Track crop development and communicate field conditions, risks, and estimated timing to agriculture and plant teams.
- Coordinate planting and harvest schedules so incoming crop flow aligns with plant capacity and quality requirements.
- Sample crops, monitor maturity, and support harvest-release decisions.
- Help procure and coordinate labor, equipment, receiving, transportation, and other resources needed during planting and harvest.
- Supervise or provide day-to-day direction to interns, crop scouts, seasonal employees, or harvest crews when assigned.
- Maintain accurate records for acreage, field activity, applications, crop condition, harvest, yield, and grower communication.
- Travel to growing regions in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois as business needs require.
- Follow and reinforce safety, food-safety, and good manufacturing practice requirements when working with field, receiving, and plant operations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in agriculture, agronomy, crop science, plant science, or a related field, or equivalent directly relevant experience in crop production, farm operations, or agronomy.
- Working knowledge of planting, crop development, field scouting, pest and weed identification, harvest timing, and yield considerations.
- Experience working directly with growers, farm owners, custom applicators, or agriculture operations teams.
- Ability to prioritize multiple fields, growers, schedules, and emerging crop issues without close daily supervision.
- Clear verbal and written communication skills and the judgment to deliver practical recommendations respectfully.
- Comfort working outdoors in changing weather, driving between field locations, and walking uneven field conditions.
- Availability for extended and irregular hours during the growing and harvest season.
- Ability to travel throughout regional growing areas, including occasional overnight travel.
- Valid driver's license and ability to maintain an acceptable driving record.
Preferred Qualifications
- Certified Crop Adviser credential or progress toward certification.
- Minnesota commercial or noncommercial pesticide applicator license, or ability to obtain the appropriate credential after hire.
- Experience with peas, sweet corn, carrots, vegetable crops, seed production, or other time-sensitive contract crops.
- Experience with field mapping, GPS, precision agriculture platforms, crop-record systems, soil sampling, or yield data.
- Experience coordinating custom application, harvest crews, agricultural equipment, or raw-product logistics.