Pat Breth is an important part of Centra Sota Cooperative's team of experts. The values and work ethic of farm families were instilled in him at a young age. Although Pat was not raised on a farm, he spent many summers growing up working on the farms of relatives. His farm chores ranged from picking rocks and baling hay to milking cows. Pat discovered early on that he enjoyed being outdoors and working hard. 

The most rewarding part of the job is getting positive feedback from the growers on a job well done.

Pat will be the first to tell you that he is from the “school of life” as he has no formal education in agriculture. Instead, he was schooled in Minnesota farm fields with hands-on experience spraying, spreading fertilizer, crop scouting and making sound agronomic recommendations. Pat has built relationships of trust with you, the growers, over his many years in the industry. He has come to know what you want and what you need to succeed in your farming operation. 

In over 30 years in the agronomy business, Pat has seen many changes in the agricultural industry, and he has adapted to meet the rapidly changing needs of his customers. He is proud to be part of a proactive cooperative. Centra Sota is poised for the future with a vast array of resources, including a great team of experts that specialize in agronomy, energy and feed. 
 

Growing up on a small dairy farm in Slayton, Minnesota, Clem began learning all aspects of farming at a very young age. It was hard work, but the experience also played an important role in shaping his future. Clem realized early on that he wanted to work with growers to earn their trust and create a business relationship.

For me, being an agronomist is more than selling products; it's selling the right products to grow the most profitable crop for the grower.

Clem earned a two-year Ag Business degree from Willmar Technical College. That degree was the start of a 30-year career in the agronomy business. Over the years, he has worked at five different fertilizer plants. For Clem, these were more than just jobs. He was gaining knowledge and gathering the best ideas on how to operate a plant. He purchased his own plant in January 1988. Clem and his wife Deb owned the plant for 20 years before selling to Centra Sota in December 2008. Clem agreed to stay on and continue to work as a sales agronomist for Centra Sota. 

Today, Clem is continuing his pattern of lifelong learning to gather the best ideas and best practices. As a Certified Crop Advisor, Clem continues attending seminars to stay up-to-date on the newest technology for farming to better serve Minnesota growers.

Abby grew up on a dairy farm in Waverly, MN. While growing up, Abby was involved in volleyball, 4-H and FFA. Her passion for the agronomy industry stems from working on the farm and checking the fields with her father.

After high school, Abby attended the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities where she majored in Agricultural Industries and Marketing with an emphasis on Crops and Soils. After graduating from the Twin Cities in 2012, Abby became an independent seed salesman. After deciding to return to college for her second undergrad, this time in Agronomy Sciences, Abby attended the University of Minnesota- Crookston. Abby recently graduate in 2015 and is currently working towards obtaining her Master’s Degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University.

Abby began working with Centra Sota as a Sales and Marketing intern in the summer of 2015. Recently, Abby was added to the full time roster as a Crop Advisor in Cokato, MN. Abby is most excited about being back out in the fields and interacting with growers. Outside of work, Abby enjoys playing volleyball and gardening. 

Growers in the Watkins area probably don't need much of an introduction to Mark. He grew up on a farm about a mile outside of Watkins. Aside from a short period going to school and working in St. Cloud, he has spent most of his life either farming or working with local farmers. It is that experience that has made him an important part of the Centra Sota team.

I really enjoy the job that I do. I am out in the country and still farming every day with my customers. I enjoy being able to jump on a tractor or in a pick-up to go look at fields with farmers to help in any way that I can.

After Mark got married in 1987, he worked the family farm raising hogs and milk cows alongside his dad. This helped Mark gain a true understanding of the issues that growers face - what it takes to put a crop in the ground, take it out, and do so profitably given the current commodity prices.

Although Mark rents out most of the land at the family farm these days, he still keeps his hands in farming with some pigs and some steers. He lives in Watkins with his wife, of 25 years, and two children. Mark also recently celebrated a 25-year milestone with the Watkins Volunteer Fire Department, where he currently serves as the safety officer.

I grew up on a corn and soybean farm in Maple Plain, MN where I am still actively involved. I attended South Dakota State University where I majored in Agronomy and minored in Precision Agriculture and Soil Science. My previous experience in the Agriculture industry includes an internship with Centra Sota at the Cokato location as a crop scout, as well as an Agriculture Technology Specialist internship with WinField United in Central Minnesota. Most recently I worked for Syngenta Crop Protection as a Developmental Sales Representative in Kansas as well as Southeast Minnesota.

I am passionate about helping farmers attain the highest return on investment, and partnering with them to help make the best Agronomic decision for their individual operation.

I am excited to join the Centra Sota team and I look forward to working with you!
 

I grew up on a small farm east of Foley where we raised veal calves. Later we switched to Holstein steers and hay. After high school I spent three summers walking fields working with a crop consultant evaluating stands, soil sampling and scouting for weeds, insects and crop disease. 

I received a bachelor's degree in Crop and Soil Science from the University of Minnesota in St. Paul and a master's degree in Weed Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I also had two six-month internships with American Cyanamid chemical company during college. After graduate school, I went to work for a private contract researcher in Wisconsin, and I later joined Centra Sota Cooperative in December of 2003.

I enjoy the seasonality of farming, and the fact that the tasks needed to be done change with the seasons. I like walking fields and I enjoy working with plants. If I wasn't here I would probably be teaching. 

I married my wife, Holly, on November 2, 2002. She grew up on a dairy farm between Lester Prairie and Winsted. We have two children, Hannah and Zachary. My hobbies include fishing, hunting, weightlifting, and gardening (especially giant pumpkins!).

Tyson has more than 10 years of experience in the agriculture industry, and he is an important part of the Centra Sota team. He grew up on a family farm in South-Central Iowa, and he later went on to earn an agronomy degree from Iowa State University. He made the move to Minnesota when his wife accepted a new job, and he has been working for Centra Sota since 2004.

Growing up on the farm, you really understand what customers are going through and what the business process is like.

Tyson draws from that solid foundation of experience and education when working with growers. He also strives to stay current on the latest trends in agriculture in order to bring the newest technologies to his customers. Before Tyson makes any recommendation to a customer, he envisions himself in their position and considers how the decision will impact the customer's bottom line.

My name is Jason Klein! I live in Watkins with my wife and our three girls. I had the opportunity to work on some farms when I was younger, and that type of work caught my eye. I enjoyed working outdoors, and I thought farming was something that I wanted to do at some time in my life. 

My goal is to build long-term relationships with growers, and to use any and all of the resources I have at Centra Sota to make sure that growers are getting the information and advice they need to make their operations successful and profitable.

My dream came true in April 2006 when I got a job at Centra Sota as a driver/applicator. For the three years that I worked as an applicator I was fortunate to meet many different growers and see first-hand how they made their operations work. In the fall of 2009, I joined the Centra Sota sales team. I enjoy meeting growers and getting to know their businesses. 

Doni was born in St. Cloud and grew up on a farm north of Sartell. He has been involved with agriculture for roughly 50 years, nearly all his life. He has had the opportunity to be around livestock and a variety of crops. 

To me it is really exciting to be part of the agricultural world and working together with producers to find solutions for their challenges and concerns.

Growing up on the farm taught Doni a lot of life lessons. It is where he learned the importance of family and friends working together to get crops in and harvested. The experience also gave him a firsthand view of the concerns and issues that all farmers face on a daily basis. He uses that knowledge to go out and help today's producers with the concerns they have in today's market.

Doni has lived in central Minnesota all of his life. He now lives south of Foley with his wife Sharon, daughter Katrina and labs Zeus and Zena. In his spare time, he works his 1-acre vegetable garden where he grows cucumbers, as well as 400 to 600 tomato plants and another 400 to 600 pepper plants. Like any good grower, Doni is continuing to build his “small” garden slowly with a keen focus on getting the most out of production. In 2011 he and his family produced 8,000 pounds of tomatoes that they canned and shared.

I grew up dairy farming here in central Minnesota on multiple neighbors farms along with my dad’s 600 cow dairy early on in life. After graduating high school, I completed my Associated degree in Agriculture Business at Ridgewater College in Willmar, MN and my Bachelors degree in Agriculture Science at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD.

During my college career I completed three internships. In 2013 I interned as a Sales and Marketing Intern for Mycogen Seeds in South Western Minnesota. In 2014 I was a sales intern/agronomy consultant for an independent retailer in Pipestone, MN. Finally, in 2015 I interned for a seed brokerage firm in Olivia Minnesota.

In my spare time, I enjoy doing yard work, helping dad on the farm and spending time with my fiancé.

I am happy to be a part of the Centra Sota team and excited to help farmers will all of their crop needs.  

Jack was born and raised on a small farm in southwestern Minnesota. After receiving a two-year degree in business from Willmar Community College, he returned to the family farm and eventually took over running the operation. Jack continued to farm for 20 years, raising corn and soybeans along with hogs and some calves.

Since having run my own farm, I feel I have a great understanding of the challenges farmers face. With this being a great time to be involved in agriculture I look forward to helping our customers get the most of every dollar they spend with us.

He joined Centra Sota in 2007 and his farming experience has made him an important part of the Centra Sota team. He doesn't “shoot from the hip” to give growers vague answers to their questions. If he doesn't know the answer, he can go to the many resources and knowledgeable people that Centra Sota has to get the information that growers want and need today.