Jim Henry Dakota Dunes, South Dakota Silage Specialist Mycogen Seeds

What education are you bringing with you to this position?
I am the son of a hard-working northeastern Iowa farmer who taught me the fundamentals of agriculture early in life. I learned valuable lessons through direct experiences – handling a day-old calf, a scoop shovel, or a 50-pound alfalfa bale on a hot July day. In addition, I developed a deep appreciation for scientific advancement from Dad and also from my mother, who was a dedicated nurse for more than 50 years. I earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Iowa State University. I recall asking my father what he studied at Iowa State and he said “animal husbandry.” That major was long off the books, so I chose animal science and stuck with it for four years.

What territory will you cover?
I-29 Corridor: North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, northwestern Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas

What are your new responsibilities?
As a silage specialist, I am responsible for helping dairy producers and nutritionists, as well as our dealer network and sales team, understand how to use Mycogen brand Silage-Specific BMR corn hybrids successfully. I focus on communicating how BMR corn silage will improve milk production and the dairy operation’s bottom line.

What previous positions have you held?
After college, I worked as a nutritionist for Farmland Industries in Kansas City and West Central Cooperative in Ralston, Iowa. At West Central, I held several positions, including feed division sales manager and product manager for SoyPLUS and SoyChlor. I then relocated to California’s Central Valley as area marketing manager for Monsanto, working closely with managers of large, high-producing dairy herds. Life is short, and with the passing of my father in 2005, I decided to return to my home state of Iowa. There I continued working for Monsanto until I joined Mycogen Seeds as a sales representative in 2008. These experiences have prepared me well for my new role as Mycogen Seeds Silage Specialist.

What excites you most about working in your new role?
We are in an era of high, high feed costs, and dairy producers are constantly challenged to find new ways to be more efficient. BMR corn hybrids help dairy producers reduce feed costs by producing highly digestible, high-quality forages on their own farm. This means dairy managers have less feed and feed ingredients to purchase off the farm.

How will you be the most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
Dairy producers have a lot of choices when it comes to hybrid selection and nutrition management. Sifting through these options can be daunting. My job is to clarify the role our products play in achieving the highest possible nutrition efficiencies. It is up to me to match research and science with the practical application of advanced genetics and technology on the customer’s farm.

Why did you choose this company?
Mycogen Seeds and Dow AgroSciences maintain a very positive approach in the market; they value good customer experiences and offer products that improve their customers’ bottom lines. I also really enjoy the people I work with.

What is your best story from the first day on the job?
My favorite experiences are those where I’ve helped change a perspective. I remember one young couple, in particular, who had some misperceptions about yield and quality differences between our advanced-generation BMR hybrids and earlier-generation hybrids. After they examined our product specifications, research results and trial data from fields within their geographic area, they saw our products in a whole new light.

What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
I want to see dairy producers in the I-29 Corridor, and throughout our marketing areas, recognize Mycogen BMR as the gold standard for high-quality corn silage. PD