Inspired by nature, Ricki brings a chemistry degree and years in botanical chemistry and biological systems research to Tidal Grow AgriScience. He enjoys exploring and explaining the intricacies of how chitosan works for agricultural applications.
Joaquin Orellana studied Agronomist Engineering (Chile), and Fertigation in Israel. Joaquin started his career as an agronomist at Ferrero Group Corporate as a Hazelnut Program Manager expanding his knowledge on orchard management and fertilization. Later he changed his career to the fertilizer industry at Compo Expert, where he used his vast knowledge to develop fertilizers such as Nitrification Inhibitors, Control Release Fertilizers, Slow Release Fertilizers and biostimulants.
Currently, Joaquin is the Managing Director at Afrikelp-USA. According to Joaquin, Afrikelp is a unique and sustainable kelp product that when applied strategically allows to improve quality parameters and yield in different crops contributing to the profitability of farmers.” Joaquin has been a speaker at different congresses including the Table Grape Symposium in South Africa (2007) and at the World Forestry Congress (Argentina, 2009).
Marc Lajeunesse is the founder of Micro Bio Tech LLC and doing business as Agro Bio USA for the agriculture world. Marc has been in the agriculture space for over 13 years now developing new, unique and innovative products and concepts . His latest accomplishment was to open a brand new state of the art biological manufacturing plant and lab in Yerington, Nevada using new methodology to analyze, reproduce and balance any soil’s biome using a mix of native and stock of unique microorganism identified from various regions, crops, soils and climate conditions.
David Knaus is the President and Founder of Apical Crop Science LLC, an ag-tech company that combines laboratory analysis, smart data management, and sustainable growing products to provide growers with the tools they need to grow high-yielding crops organically. As a successful farmer, college instructor, and professional crop advisor for over 10 years each, he offers a unique perspective into the challenges farmers face, and how to use the best of academic research and laboratory analytics to drive smart in-field decision-making that has helped growers across the country and internationally.
Amanda Eade is a Global Portfolio Manager for Certis Biologicals, supporting the company’s portfolio of biological solutions for crop protection. She focuses her marketing efforts across Certis’ broad biological portfolio, ensuring that growers and channel partners domestically and globally have the biological solution they need when they need it. Over the course of her career, Amanda has held commercial roles with other industry leaders such as Dow AgroSciences, Cheminova, and BASF. Her experience spans specialty crop, row crop, non-crop, public health, forestry and vegetation management.
Brooke Bissinger has worked in the agricultural industry for over a decade and is passionate about delivering high quality products to growers. She is the marketing product manager for AgBiome’s Theia® Fungicide, which was registered and became available in late 2022. Brooke holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College, and MS and PhD degrees from North Carolina State University in Entomology.
Ronald Valentin was born in the heart of the greenhouse industry in the Netherlands. His family owned a greenhouse operation and his father started using biological control in 1971. At a very young age Ronald developed an interest for the “bugs” and as a teenager he was managing and producing the biological control agents for the family greenhouse operation.
After finishing his education in crop protection management, biochemistry and vegetable production at State Secondary College of Agriculture in De Lier the Netherland, he embarked on a career in biological control June 9th 1986. After working in biological control technical support in the Netherlands and several other European countries, he came to Canada for his first visit in 1996. After traveling to Canada once every 6 to 7 weeks in 1996 and 1997 he immigrated to Canada in December 1997. In March 2004 he became a Canadian Citizen.
Over the years Ronald has worked with many growers to set up sustainable and effective pest management programs with as a focus to use BCA’s as a first line of defense. He has trained and managed technical support teams in Europe, Canada and the USA. November 7th 2022, Ronald Valentin joined Mastronardi Produce in the role or Director, Corporate IPM. Ronald is very passionate about making an IPM and biological control approach work for each and every grower as well as reducing the use of pesticides for the better of the environment and the future.
Michael Hull is the Technical Services Manager for Kemin Crop Technologies. He currently lives in Orlando, Florida and has a passion for biopesticides and providing growers natural solutions to their pest problems. He has a Masters Degree from the University of Florida in Entomology and has over 6 years experience using biological solutions to assist growers.
Jay has been involved in agricultural distribution for 12 years. Jay began his career in retail agriculture before moving into wholesale. Early on in his career Jay began placing an emphasis on utilizing sustainable and biological products along with conventional products to help retailers support their growers to achieve their goals. He has extensive knowledge of product offerings across the industry involving biological and sustainable product offerings. Jay has helped design programs that can fit a multitude of budgets in order to achieve the desired goals of the grower.
Jay also raises his own crop of grass hay targeting horse owners in Northern Colorado. He utilizes a conventional starter fertilizer and herbicide program. After that he supplements with biological and sustainable nutrition through the pivot to achieve his yield goals. He is able to raise very high quality grass while maximizing every acre available.
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans is a horticultural entomologist specializing in integrated pest management. Suzanne has been involved in the Green Industry for more than 30 years with a primary focus on biological control and using pesticides properly. She is a graduate of the University of Florida with degrees in both Entomology and Environmental Horticulture. She has worked throughout the United States and internationally consulting to greenhouses, nurseries, landscapers, cannabis production and interiorscape companies. She is the owner of Buglady Consulting, now in business 24 years.
