Garst Seed Company area agronomist Jim Frederick of Orient, Iowa, was recently elected to the Iowa Certified Crop Advisers (CCA) Board. The Iowa CCA Board helps direct the future of the state’s crop certification program. Frederick’s three-year term will begin January 2007 and run through December 2009.

“Jim has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of agriculture and we’re thrilled to see him take on a leadership role like this within the state of Iowa,” says Jim Bueltel, agronomy services manager for Garst. “He really enjoys working with growers and helping them make their farms more profitable. He will be an invaluable addition to the Iowa CCA Board.”

Frederick, who lives on his family farm in southwest Iowa, has been an agronomist for Garst for five years. He advises growers in southwest and central Iowa, and is an expert on no-till and conservation no-till agriculture. Frederick received both his bachelor’s degree in agriculture studies and his master’s degree in agronomy from Iowa State University. Prior to working for Garst, Frederick was a chemical sales manager for Monsanto.

Frederick and two other newly elected Iowa CCA Board members will be recognized at the Integrated Crop Management (ICM) Conference at the Iowa State Center in Ames on November 29–30.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides innovative seed solutions for growers across North America with high yielding corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa and sunflower products.

Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs more than 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).