JUSTIN TROMPKE
CEO
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Time is limited, especially for an ag producer, and Justin’s strongest asset is his ability to communicate efficiently with his customers. He sees the value a written marketing plan can bring to an operation and has dedicated his career to building strong relationships. He brings to his customers a background in irrigation sales/service, along with a degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
MIKE PELSTER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Since joining AgWest in 2010, Mike has worked side-by-side with father-in-law, Jim Engler, seeking to assist producers in the navigation of the ever-changing and completely humbling world of commodity markets. Although his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Nebraska at Kearney didn’t specifically prepare him for assisting producers with the development and execution of their marketing plans, Mike credits those educational endeavors with expanding his passion for learning new things and thinking outside the box.
JUSTIN ROPERS
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Beginning his career at AgWest in our Buyer Relations Department, before becoming a broker, gave Justin a unique understanding of the commercial side of the business. With a drive to see producers succeed, he worked for an agronomy flying service before receiving an Ag Business degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
JOSH HOLT
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Josh loves talking shop with an ag producer and learning about their unique operation. He strives to build marketing plans that are equally unique for them, helping them manage their risk. His background growing up on a farm and cow/calf operation, along with a degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University, and hands-on experience in grain and cattle operations in Nebraska, Colorado and Florida, he can relate to the challenges production agriculture presents to his customers.
TODD HENKE
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
GRETNA, NE
Todd brings to the AgWest team an extensive career in agriculture where he most recently managed the grain department and worked closely with producers as the lead merchandiser for an area cooperative. He’s excited to partner directly with farmers to help them with their marketing in any way he can.
JOEL GOCKLEY
IMPERIAL BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
IMPERIAL, NE
Joel is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor degree in Agronomy and a minor in Crop Production. Joel possesses a solid understanding of area growers and producers’ needs with fifteen years of service as both a crop consultant and in the retail fertilizer/chemical sectors. Joel is well aware of the factors regarding the input side of agriculture and the importance of customer service. He thoroughly enjoys assisting his customers with their marketing, as he leads the Imperial office.
GORDY NUSS
SUTTON BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
SUTTON, NE
Gordy will say he is most proud to be part of AgWest because of the work we’re able to do to actually help producers. Operating his own farrow-to-finish hog business and farm for years prior to partnering with Steve Knuth to open AgWest’s first branch office in 2000, he truly understands the hard work and dedication life in production agriculture demands. After witnessing first-hand how vital marketing and risk management are, he’s passionate about bringing that positive impact to each and every customer he works with.
KYLE KNOCHE
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
BEATRICE, NE
Kyle understands a successful operation requires hard work, day in and day out, and the importance of marketing. Running a cow/calf herd himself gives him the first-hand experience of what it looks like to be able to help a neighbor in need and he brings that attitude to the AgWest team. Past experience in ag radio sales, along with an interest in commodity markets, give him a solid foundation to partner with ag producers.
JASON LEINEN
ADEL BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
ADEL, IA
Jason has been involved in agriculture his entire life from growing up on the family farm to being an agronomist in Central Iowa, and as a grain marketer in Southwest Iowa. He enjoys building relationships with growers, working with them to use the tools provided by the futures and cash market to build marketing plans unique to their operation. Jason understands the challenges farmers face and the importance of risk management in today’s marketplace.
JOSH MORRILL
PAOLA BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
PAOLA, KS
Josh carries 10 years of grain procurement and distillers grain merchandising experience from the ethanol industry with him to AgWest, serving in eastern Kansas. During that time, Josh gained invaluable experience managing crush margins via hedging and cash marketing, and strongly believes those same disciplines of managing margins directly correlate with those producers face on the farm every day. Josh is originally from Larned, KS where his family farms and operates a commercial alfalfa harvesting company.
DAVID SCHNACK
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
DEWITT, IA
David has spent his career viewing the grain industry from many different angles and he brings that understanding to his AgWest customers. Years behind a merchandiser’s desk at local elevators and processing facilities, coupled with hours in the seat of a tractor keeping his family's farm alive, have shown him the importance of a sound marketing plan in today's agriculture industry.
CRAIG POYSER
HOLDREGE BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Craig’s key strength is his ability to recognize the risk factors of production agriculture after spending 18 years in the retail fertilizer and chemical business before joining AgWest. His goal is to partner with customers to preserve and enhance profitability through risk management and sales execution techniques. Building life-long relationships, Craig enjoys getting to know each operation on an individual level and creating customized marketing plans to fit their needs.
JOSH FRIZZELL
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Wearing a merchandiser’s hat for over a decade, Josh has witnessed the emotional connection farmers feel for the crop they’re raising. With degrees from UNK in Ag Business and Business Administration-Marketing he’s dedicated to top-level customer service, helping clients build and follow through with their production marketing plan.
DENNIS MACFEE
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
From a large commercial feed yard to an agronomy retailer, and active involvement on their family farm, Dennis has had his hands in production agriculture his entire life. His background has instilled the belief that bringing value along with attention to detail to a partnership with a customer is critical in building a solid working relationship.
IVAN ZIEG
GRETNA BRANCH MANAGER
DIRECTOR OF COMPLIANCE AND TRAINING
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
GRETNA, NE
After years of fine-tuning his approach to sharing AgWest’s programs with potential clients, as well as fostering life-long customer relationships, Ivan now manages the Gretna office and our Emerging Broker group. His in-depth understanding of the unique skill-set required to help producers make him well-suited for his role. Learn More
RUSS HOPWOOD
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
GRETNA, NE
20 years of experience as a broker, allows Russ to see the many benefits to risk management and structured marketing. Prior to receiving a degree from Doane, he was raised on his family’s hog operation in Eastern Nebraska where he learned the hard work production agriculture requires. He now brings that same level of dedication to his customers.
KALE GOCKLEY
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
IMPERIAL, NE
Passionate about helping his customers manage their risk, along with a deep interest in the technical side of the markets, make Kale a great broker and cash advisor. With a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and several years of hands-on experience from the livestock and row crop production side, he can relate to the challenges producers face.
JASON BOHLKE
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
SUTTON, NE
Jason has seen firsthand the dedication to hard work running a successful ag operation requires and the importance of a plan to effectively market in today's volatile environment. After returning the his family’s farm with a business degree from Nebraska Wesleyan he learned his favorite part of farming was trading the markets, unlike many producers! As part of the AgWest team he now puts that passion to work on behalf of his customers, allowing them to focus more on the production side of things.
BLAKE ROTH
YUMA BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
YUMA, CO
Blake gained an appreciation for managing market risk while interning for a cattle-focused brokerage firm during his time at Colorado State University; where he majored in Investment Finance and minored in Ag Business. He has a background in farming and has spent the last 12 years playing a major role on his family farm in Northeastern Colorado. He joins the AgWest team to revive his passion for helping ag producers thrive by managing price risk.
MATT PRILL
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
ADEL, IA
A degree from Iowa State University in Agricultural Studies and a variety of experience in the ag industry have prepared Matt for his role as an AgWest Advisor. His background in row crop operations, farrow to finish confinements, seed production and, most recently, agricultural lending make him well-versed in the struggles ag producers face and he enjoys being able to help them manage their risk.
CODY LARRIMORE
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
PAOLA, KS
Bringing his passion for the outdoors and his analytical background to AgWest, Cody enjoys building relationships with ag producers. He has lived in Kansas for several years now, with his roots stemming from rural farm ground in Maryland. With a degree in Economics and Management from Keene State College, he started his professional career as a market analyst for a large hunting and fishing market research firm for seven years. That experience serves as a foundation to build and service a customer’s marketing needs.
JAMIE WILKERSON
DUMAS BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
Dumas, AR
Jamie started his grain marketing career in 1977, at the age of 5, after scooping up a bushel of soybeans and selling it for $10.00. He's been hooked ever since, exploring the industry with an Ag Econ degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Hedging inputs, ag banking, merchandising and managing a seed company's soybean hedge were all pieces that combined to make him perfectly suited to now help producers build customized marketing plans to manage risk in their individual operations.
DAVID H. BOHM
RPM PROGRAM DIRECTOR
CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Cash markets are David’s specialty after spending over 20 years managing grain elevators. He joined Steve Knuth to start AgWest’s RPM Program in 2002, bringing on board his vast knowledge of the commercial side of this industry and an understanding that the hardest part of farming for the producer can be selling the actual grain. Learn More
CHRIS FAHRENBRUCH
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
HOLDREGE, NE
Starting as AgWest’s Buyer Relations Manager before moving to a Broker/CA role, Chris incorporates his experience working with commercials to each producer he serves. His background on their family farm and an Ag Economics degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln allow him to build strong professional partnerships with customers.
FAITH PIERCE
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR ASSOCIATE
HOLDREGE, NE
Faith's strong background in the the grain business and years of experience perfecting the top-level customer service the ag industry requires makes her a strong asset to the AgWest leadership and entire team.
DALE JERGENSEN
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
GRETNA, NE
As one of our most market-savvy and highly experienced brokers, Dale brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. Raised on a farm in north central Iowa, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Biometry (Statistics & Agriculture) and a Master's degree in Ag Economics (Finance and Marketing), from Iowa State University. Spending his entire career in the markets, he worked in Chicago in the the early 1980's and ran a trading desk in Australia. His understanding runs the spectrum from agricultural futures to global currencies and equities trading. He has extensive experience trading options and a solid understanding of their role for the producer hedger.
JED MOON
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
GRETNA, NE
Jed strives to partner with producers to set goals for their farming operation and develop steps to achieve them. With an Ag Economics degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a family farm upbringing as well, he’s passionate about keeping family farms around for generations to come. He sees the impact a customized marketing plan can make in that goal for an operation to succeed and specializes in building strong relationships to help execute those plans.
ASHLEY ESKEW
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR ASSOCIATE
IMPERIAL, NE
Ashley brings years of customer service experience to AgWest after working for a local agronomy firm and telephone company as well. Those positions, along with active involvement in production agriculture with her family, give her a passion to see the farmer succeed. She can relate with a customer’s struggles and works hard to effectively communicate the execution their marketing plan requires to manage risk.
STEVE SUGDEN
BEATRICE BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR
BEATRICE, NE
Actively farming with his family in Southeast Nebraska, Steve faces the same challenges in production and, most importantly, marketing that his customers do. After serving in the Nebraska Army National Guard, he studied agriculture in college, receiving a management degree from Doane. His strong current ag involvement and military roots, along with his experience from serving on various boards in the rural community, allow him to work well with producers.
DAN KENDRICK
PROGRAM REPRESENTATIVE
YUMA, CO
Spending the majority of his time with his hands dirty on his family farm serves as the foundation for Dan’s passion to help producers manage their risk. He understands the amount of hard work it takes to build equity in an operation and the importance of protecting it. He couples his production ag experience with a degree from Colorado State University in Ag Business and 14 years of ag lending. He enjoys putting his multiple views to work for the benefit of the AgWest customer.
BETH COLLINS
HUMBOLDT BRANCH MANAGER
BROKER / CASH ADVISOR ASSOCIATE
HUMBOLDT, IA
Beth is passionate about providing risk management tools to ag producers. With over 25 years of experience as a commodity broker, her thorough understanding of futures and options and ability to explain them in layman’s terms are an asset to our Humboldt office. Experience in accounting, bookkeeping and operating their own farm and cattle feeding operation for years gives her a heart for the farmer and an understanding of the ups and downs life in agriculture provides. She brings her upbeat personality and dedication to quality customer service to the AgWest team.
