Our people make us who we are.

Barry Sutton joined Dairyland Seed in December 2002. As the Central Region Sales Manager of the territories in eastern Iowa, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, he is responsible for the day-to-day management of his sales force, which includes budgeting, market forecasting and asset allocations.

Barry holds a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois. A life-long resident of Illinois, Barry resides in rural La Moille with his wife and two children.

Bill Martin is the Regional Sales Manager for Dairyland Seed’s Eastern Region, covering Michigan and northern Indiana. Bill works closely with his team of District Sales Managers to lead a network of Dealers to promote sales.  His responsibilities include sales support, leadership, product allocation and placement, along with budget control.

Bill enjoys farming with his family, raising beef, corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat in central Michigan where he was born and raised on a family dairy farm.  Agriculture is a passion of his and he enjoys sharing that with his children hoping to pass on a legacy of farming heritage and upbringing.

Bill is a graduate of Michigan State University with a BSA in AgriBusiness Management with a minor in Dairy Management.  He and his wife Dawn have four children all at home.  Bill and Dawn reside in Pewamo, Michigan.

Lynn Hammes, Dairyland Seed’s Western Regional Sales Manager is responsible for sales in the western region consisting of Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.  Lynn works closely with the District Sales Managers, dealers and customers and is responsible for the growth and development of the sales team while implementing crop planning, sales programs and customer service.

Lynn joined Dairyland Seed in 2018.  He graduated from Upper Iowa University with a bachelors in Business Administration.  Lynn was born and raised on a grain/livestock farm in southeast Iowa.

Lynn, his wife Christine, and two daughters reside in Montezuma, Iowa.

TJ Strachota serves as a Regional Sales Manager for Dairyland Seed. TJ is responsible for sales in Dairyland Seed’s Northern Region. He works directly with the District Sales Managers, dealers and customers in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

Dairyland Seed was started by TJ’s great-grandfather in 1907, and TJ became a fourth generation active family member when he joined in 2004. He grew up around the business, and worked part time during high school and as an intern during college. 

TJ is a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing.

TJ and his wife Katie have five children and reside in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Rod Moran is the Soybean Leader for Dairyland Seed. In his current role, Rod works directly with Dairyland Seed management and sales staff to provide agronomic support and education to aid in optimizing product placement. He is involved with the research staff in order to gain the knowledge necessary to provide the most accurate recommendations for a wide variety of environments. He also works collaboratively with the research, production and sales leaders to assist in aligning research and product development to meet Dairyland’s commercial objectives.

Rod joined Dairyland Seed in 2004 as a District Sales Manager. Prior to working for Dairyland Seed, for 16 years Rod was part of the Growmark system serving in various agronomy, crop protection, and management roles.

Rod holds undergraduate degrees in earth science and agronomy, as well as a master’s in crop sciences from the University of Illinois. He is a Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg), Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), and holds membership in the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Midwest Forage Association. 

Rod, and his wife Beth, and their children reside in Forsyth, Illinois.

Branden Furseth is the Regional Agronomist for Dairyland Seed’s Northern Region. As a Regional Agronomist, Branden partners with Dairyland Seed’s customers and sales teams to understand their needs and provide timely communication of product and agronomic information. His time in research provides experience evaluating field plots and an understanding of crop genetics, while perspective from the family farm gives him practical knowledge of what it takes for Dairyland Seed’s customers to be successful.

Branden grew up on a diversified farm in southern Wisconsin that raises cash grain, dairy and tobacco. He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from UW-Platteville and a Master of Science (M.S.) from UW-Madison, both in Agronomy. After school, he spent eight years with the Dow AgroSciences/Corteva Agriscience corn, soybean and alfalfa breeding programs as a Research Center Leader before moving to his current role in January of 2019. Branden lives in Deforest, Wis. with his wife and two daughters.  

Dan Ritter is the Regional Agronomist for Dairyland Seed’s Central Region, covering southern Wisconsin, northwest and southeast Indiana, northern Illinois and northeast Iowa.  His main role is to assist the sales force in maintaining and growing the Dairyland Seed business through agronomic information and service.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in Farm Management (1991) and a Master’s degree in Agronomy (2000) from Purdue University.  Dan’s work experience includes over 30 years in the ag industry, including a Weed Science Research Associate at Purdue University, an agricultural extension agent and various agronomy roles in the seed industry.

Dan resides in Northwest Indiana where he was raised on the families diversified grain and livestock farm.  Dan is married to Kristi and they have three daughters and a son.

Amanda Goffnett is a Regional Agronomist for the Eastern Region.  Her primary responsibilities include providing agronomic services for District Sales Managers, customers, dealers and prospects.  Additionally, she is involved with product advancements and product training.

Amanda joined Dairyland Seed in 2021.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Crop and Soil Sciences with a specialization in Agribusiness Management from Michigan State University in 2012. In 2015 she earned her Master of Science in Crop and Soil Sciences and became a Certified Crop Advisor soon after.  Amanda spent five years as the Customer Agronomist supporting the Mycogen Seeds brand. During her time as a Customer Agronomist, she provided agronomic support and recommendations to growers, dealers and sales representatives across Michigan. Amanda was also heavily involved with on-farm plot work and product management.

Amanda was raised on a small family farm in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where she still farms with her dad today. When she’s not in the field she enjoys hiking, kayaking and fishing in Northern Michigan.

Mark Gibson is a Regional Agronomist for the Eastern Region.  His primary responsibilities include providing agronomic services for District Sales Managers, customers, dealers and prospects.  Additionally, he is involved with product advancements and product training. 

Mark joined Dairyland Seed in 2021.  Mark served four years in the United States Marine Corps before earning a bachelor’s degree in Soil and Crop Management from Purdue University. Mark is a Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg) and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA). He has spent his career working in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio as a sales agronomist and in ag retail for a small, family-owned seed company.

Mark and his wife, Kristine reside in Convoy, OH, with their children Henry, Jillian and Bridget. Mark is also an active member in his local American Legion Post Color Guard.

Brian Weller is the Regional Agronomist for Dairyland Seed's Western Region, covering Minnesota, North and South Dakota. He grew up in southern Minnesota working for area farmers and researchers. His research activities were in soils and weed science in both the public and private sectors. Prior to coming to Dairyland Seed, Brian was a Lead Agronomist for Land O'Lakes and Central Farm Service for 24 years. 

As a Regional Agronomist, Brian partners with Dairyland Seed's Agronomy and Sales teams to help provide timely agronomic support and information about products and growing conditions to farmers. His background on the farm, research and agronomy retail provide experiences to help farmers with many aspects of their operation. 

Brian holds degrees in Crop Production and Agricultural Education from the University of Minnesota. He is very active in his local community and serves on several boards. Brian lives in Waseca, Min. with his wife Lori and their two sons.