Garrett joined the IWC team in July, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Cathy Wilson. “Every member of the IWC team brings a unique set of significant skills to the table,” said Casey Chumrau, IWC Executive Director. “Garrett brings a breadth of knowledge that will benefit Idaho wheat growers. He has an interesting mix of research, agronomic and marketing experience that will allow IWC to expand its programing and tools available to assist growers. We are thrilled that Garrett has joined the team and know he will be a great resource for Idaho growers.”
Garrett was born and raised in Portville, New York, a small town in the snow belt outside of Buffalo. Garrett “grew up knee-deep in agriculture”. With both sets of grandparents owning small dairies in Western New York, much of Garrett’s free time was spent on the farms, and a tradition of agriculture remains in the family. “Four of my mother’s seven siblings went on to start dairies of their own, all of which are still in the Western New York region,” he explained. “Some of my best childhood memories are riding to the farm with my uncle for the morning milking – then hunting, fishing, and trapping with my cousins for the rest of the day.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Empire State College. “After some time working as a crop scout for Western New York Crop Management, I decided to pursue agricultural business as a professional career path,” Garrett said. He attended State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology in Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) where he earned a second bachelor’s degree, this time a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business. Immediately upon graduating from SUNY Cobleskill, Garrett found an opportunity with FFR Cooperative, where he managed small plot seed research sites of corn, wheat, and soybeans along the east coast from New York to South Carolina. “Our research focus was primarily variety development, but we were often trialing fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides as well.”
Since moving west in 2015, Garrett’s work has shifted to procurement in the supply chain. “As a Brewing Materials Agronomist for MillerCoors, I purchased contracted malt barley in Northern Montana and the Gallatin Valley, coordinated rail logistics, and managed seed production for their grower base. In a similar capacity, my most recent position with John I. Haas taught me all about different hop varieties grown in the PNW.”
“I found myself with some down time during the pandemic and realized it was a great opportunity to tackle a master’s program,” said Garrett. “I’m currently halfway through an M.S. in Agricultural Business and Risk Management through the University of Tennessee Martin, an online program.” Garrett plans to focus his research on consumer willingness to pay for value-added products, part of a project funded by Pick Tennessee, which will measure the marketing benefit of adding the Pick Tennessee label to qualifying products.
When asked what he found appealing about this position with the Idaho Wheat Commission, Garrett replied, “My passion is research. I love the short-term problem solving a single year trial can accomplish as well as the long-term rewards that can be achieved through an ongoing variety development program. Research combines my agronomic knowledge with my inquisitive nature – and to be involved in all the projects the Idaho Wheat Commission is funding just seemed like a perfect fit. I’m excited to get acquainted with research already underway this season and to guide future direction on behalf of growers.”
Garrett’s goals for the future are simple: provide a seamless transition so the Commission can continue supporting researchers in their projects and add some value to Idaho growers by applying some of his previous experience and expertise to the research position, such as publishing regional crop reports and modeling crop yield estimates. “And I believe my ability to translate research to decision-making at the farm level will be a great asset to growers looking to make impactful changes in their operation.”
After answering what he found most appealing, Garrett answered about what he was most excited: “The people! Casey has put together a great team and I’m thrilled to be part of that,” he said without hesitation. He continued, “Since I’m new to Idaho, I’m excited to start meeting growers and getting to know what makes Idaho special. A loft goal – but I’d like to meet every wheat grower in the state!”
Garrett also has big plans for when he’s out of the office. “I’m an avid fly-fisherman and I’ll take any opportunity to learn some new water,” he said. “I recently took a trip to the Tongass National Forest – an area of the country that features some of the highest densities of brown bears and bald eagles. More than once I had a salmon on my fly line with eagles soaring overhead and a grizzly keeping an eye out for a free meal. Now that’s America! Naturally, my goal in Idaho is to put a few Kokanees on the smoker.” Garrett is also a devoted trail runner, a hobby he has taken up since moving to the Pacific Northwest. He has competed in seven trail races so far in 2021 and still has a few more on the schedule. “Of course, with [his racing schedule] comes a high-calorie diet featuring, but not limited to, pastries, cereal, cookies, cakes, and lots of pastas,” he quipped. “I’m never far from my next gluten fix!”
