Dave Braaten
Manager of Agronomy
Valley View Ag Services
As the Manager of Agronomy for FarmQA, Dave ensures we’re providing information that meets the needs of agricultural producers, agronomists, and the allied industries. As an Independent Crop Consultant, Dave enjoys sharing his hands-on experiences, working directly with agricultural producers, processors and innovators.
Dave has over 38 years of experience in various agricultural industries. Growing up on a small family farm producing sugar beets, small grains and sunflowers in the northern Red River Valley, Dave developed a passion for agriculture early in life. Upon graduation from high school, Dave attended NDSU for an extended period of time, combining education with a rewarding 4-year experience in agricultural research. Upon graduation from NDSU with an Agricultural degree, Dave began his professional career as an Agronomist with American Crystal Sugar Company (ACSC) and had the opportunity to be work with several established and new growers throughout the Red River Valley. In addition to the in-field consulting responsibilities to the ACSC shareholders, Dave managed designated harvest operations and long tern storage facilities. Additional assignments with ACSC included roles as General Agronomist with ProGold, a HFCS venture, and as Project Agronomist, investigating potential enhanced revenue streams including tare incentives and organic production.
New opportunities were presented to Dave as he established Valley View Ag Services, LLC, providing consulting services to agricultural producers during evenings and weekends while maintaining a full-time role as agricultural loan officer, gaining experience in crop insurance and financial principles. Dave also reestablished his involvement passion in production agriculture on the family farm with the acquisition of sugarbeet shares and as an agricultural producer of corn, soybeans, sunflowers, canola and sugar beets. During this period of time, Dave took on a new full-time role as National Product Manager of a major sugarbeet seed brand, working closely with sugarbeet cooperatives and producers throughout the United States. This position also provided working relationship with various agricultural chemical companies and international networking.
After 18 years in this role and extensive travels, Dave decided to devote his interest full time to consulting ventures and agricultural production, which has included the opportunity to fill a consulting role of Manager of Agronomy with FarmQA and Amity Technology.