AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University announces new leadership and staff changes at the Muscatine Island Research Farm in Fruitland, the Southeast Research Farm in Crawfordsville and the Northeast Research Farm in Nashua.
Agricultural specialists, Dominic Snyder and Cody Schneider, and superintendent, Myron Rees, will co-manage the two research farms in southeast Iowa at Fruitland and Crawfordsville.
Snyder joined Iowa State in 2017 and in 2018 was the sole full-time ag specialist at the Fruitland site. He will be the crops and research manager, the contact person for researchers and the contact for the Muscatine Island Research Farm Association.
Schneider joined Iowa State in 2016 at the Crawfordsville site. He will be the crops and research manager at the Southeast Research Farm. Schneider will be the contact for researchers.
Rees has been at the Southeast Research Farm in Crawfordsville since 2004 and superintendent since 2012. Rees will be the operations manager for both sites, which includes facilities, vehicle maintenance and infrastructure. He also will be the contact for the Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association.
Chad Hesseltine has been hired as an ag specialist and will be working at both the Southeast Research Farm, Crawfordsville, and the Muscatine Island Research Farm, Fruitland. He began his appointment Sept. 30.
Hesseltine has worked part-time at both farm locations for the past 19 years. He is familiar with the planting and harvest seasons, all equipment, and the various research projects and duties involved. Hesseltine also will be coordinating the on-farm trials program in southeast Iowa, working with Extension staff and area farmers.
Shannon Hoyle was hired in June to replace Tyler Mitchell at the Northeast Research Farm, Nashua. Hoyle is a 2016 Iowa State graduate who will assist with crop operations, coordinate the on-farm trials program in northeast Iowa and manage the Borlaug Learning Center.
Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences manages 15 farms at outlying locations throughout the state. These three research farms are owned by local associations. Each location has soils and topography representative of the area, which makes the research more applicable to those areas.
- The Muscatine Island Research Farm, established in 1935, is a partnership with the Muscatine Island Research Farm Association and specializes in projects related to vegetable crops, irrigation and soybean diseases.
- Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association purchased the main farm in 1987 near Crawfordsville. An adjacent tract was acquired in 2002.
- The Northeast Iowa Agricultural Experimental Association established the Northeast Research Farm in 1976. In 2009, the Borlaug Learning Center building opened. It houses ISU Extension and Outreach and farm staff.