Dave Hyde
Ag Sustainability Manager, J. R. Simplot Company
Dave grew up on an organic orchard in Southwest Idaho where he learned the value hard work. Dave also learned the value of protecting pollinators and using cover crops for weed control.
In 1983, he left the farm as a teenager and started in the Agro-Chemical industry as a flagger for the local crop duster (being around airplanes was more exciting than picking fruit and taking care of fruit trees.) After graduating from the University of Idaho with a BS degree in Agriculture Economics Dave started his career with the J.R Simplot Co. where he’s been employed for the past 28 years.
The first of 25 years at the J.R. Simplot company he worked as a Crop Advisor and Marketing Manager for their Ag-Retail division – Simplot Grower Solutions. Dave has wrote IPM recommendations, sourced, supplied, applied chemicals and reported chemical use on tens of thousands of acres of potatoes, sugar beets, alfalfa, corn, and small grains in Southern Idaho. Dave is licensed by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture as a Professional Pesticide Applicator with Ag Herbicides, Ag Insecticides, Soil Fumigation, Ornamental Herbicides and Potato Cellar designations. Dave’s also a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) since 1999 . He’s currently the Agriculture Sustainability Manager for the J.R. Simplot Food Group where he monitors pesticide applications for their contracted potato acres in North America and Argentina.