Fargo, North Dakota, USA
March 13, 2024
The new regional commercial manager has built his career on excellent seed and strong relationships
Troy Gerding is on a mission to bring the best wheat genetics to Northern Plains farmers. The new Limagrain Cereal Seeds (LCS) regional commercial manager for the region has a deep-rooted background in agriculture and extensive experience in the seed business.
Gerding grew up in the heart of dairy country in Minnesota. His grandparents on both sides were dairy farmers, and he spent countless hours pitching in — stacking hay bales, driving farm trucks and helping with milking. It was hard work. If you’d told his teenage self that he’d end up falling in love with agriculture and making it a career, he probably wouldn’t have believed you.
“It took a while,” says Gerding, “but I made my way back to ag. And now I wouldn’t want to be in any other industry.”
After graduating from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a degree in graphic communications, Gerding embarked on a multifaceted career path. His first post-college job was with a prominent local DJ company and left him with three life assets: an understanding that he was meant to work with people, a friendship that would lead him to the seed business and, most importantly, an introduction to the woman who would become his wife. An analyst position with Cargill followed, bringing Gerding back into the world of agriculture and building his skillset. Then his friend from the DJ company, who happened to be the CEO of Meridian Seeds, called.
Gerding spent 7 years managing seed sales in a territory that spanned the country. He had found his calling. “I got to see a lot of different crops, different farming practices and different timelines for planting and harvesting. It was a big learning curve for me, but I dove in headfirst,” says Gerding. “There is so much that goes into the seed that farmers buy from their local retailers. I really enjoyed being part of that, and I still do.”
Gerding’s introduction to LCS came during his tenure at Meridian Seeds, where he worked with LCS wheat and witnessed the company’s commitment to quality and innovation. Reflecting on his transition to LCS, Gerding is animated: “I’m happy to be with a great company that has great genetics and a lot of support to bring Northern Plains farmers the best lines available.”
As the Northern Plains regional commercial manager, Gerding is eager to showcase LCS’s robust portfolio of wheat varieties, each developed to address the unique challenges and opportunities faced by growers in the region.
The flagship LCS varieties have been knocking it out of the park, says Gerding: “LCS Trigger has been phenomenal for growers, really hitting that high-end yield with a spectacular disease package. Hands down, that one’s been great for us. Guys really like the more balanced LCS Cannon, too, with its better protein, early maturity and very good disease package. And big yield! LCS Cannon was the National Wheat Yield Contest winner for South Dakota.”
Gerding is also bullish about the new LCS wheat lines:
- LCS Boom, building on the success of LCS Cannon genetics
- LCS Ascent, offering high test weight and an excellent disease package
- LCS Dual, with good yield-protein balance and a wide area of adaptation
- LCS Hammer AX, the first LCS CoAXium spring wheat variety
“For farmers who are seeing Group 2 herbicide resistance or grassy weeds in their wheat that they can’t address, LCS Hammer AX is another tool in their arsenal. Plus, the wheat looks great,” says Gerding. “It’s an exciting time to be here because we have so much coming down the pipeline.”
Though wheat is the main item on the LCS Northern Plains menu, Gerding has been digging into the company’s barley and pulse crop offerings as well.
North Dakota is home to about 650,000 of acres of barley, a vast majority of which is produced under contract to the malting and brewing industry. The LCS craft malting barley lineup includes four AMBA-recommended varieties and holds immense potential for growers seeking high yield, premium quality and strong malting specifications. LCS’s new pulse program is at the forefront of yellow pea, field pea, chickpea and lentil innovation, leveraging its access to Limagrain’s European lines and a breeding program focused on Northern Plains growing conditions. Gerding sees significant opportunities for expansion in pulse acreage, particularly as growers seek sustainable cropping alternatives and diversification strategies.
Looking ahead, Gerding is committed to driving innovation and collaboration within the Northern Plains region. “I view what I do as a partnership. Every relationship is important — large dealer, small dealer, right down to the farmer level. I want to be sure I’m doing everything I can for each one of them to be successful.”
When he’s not walking fields and helping farmers, Gerding can be found nurturing the other relationships in his life: hunting and fishing with friends, and spending as much time as he can with his wife and daughters.
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