Meet Than Hartsock | OSU HCS Alumnus Class of 1999
Than Hartsock is the Vice President of Precision Upgrades at John Deere. He received his Bachelor's Degree (1999) from our department in Agronomy and was highly engaged with the Agronomy Club, today known as Crops & Soils Club, while a student here. This past April he returned to campus to speak to current students at the Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences (SASES) meeting.
Thankfully, Than had time to share a bit about his career + some advice for anyone considering pursuing a career in agronomy...
How’d you initially become interested in agronomy?
I was drawn to science at an early age growing up on my family’s corn, soybean, and wheat farm in south central Ohio. Most years my science fair projects involved soils and plants in some way. My dad emphasized continuous learning on our farm and was very involved with CFAES Extension conducting research and learning from others.
How did your time in HCS help prepare you for your career?
My time at Ohio State helped me form a broad base of understanding across agronomy, economics, and biology. I formed relationships with teachers and other students that have been important throughout my career.
I participated in the Agronomy Club, taking trips and studying various segments of crop production. I also took advantage of campus activities and learned to value gaining exposure beyond my core areas of interest.
What’s the rough career path that brought you to being the Vice President of Precision Upgrades at John Deere?
After graduating from Ohio State, I pursued a Master's Degree in Soil Science at the University of Kentucky and conducted precision ag research with a soil electrical conductivity sensors. I worked closely with Dr. Scott Shearer and Dr. John Fulton, a foundational time for my development. After graduating I joined John Deere’s precision ag team that had recently formed, and I became involved in the development of early GPS guidance systems.
My agronomy education and research experience helped me think critically and was valuable in many different roles, including product development, dealer management, business development, and general management.
What’s a normal day look like for you and what do you most look forward to each day on the job?
While I’m not sure there is a typical day, I spend time with our product development teams that are designing and delivering new technology products to farmers.
I also enjoy visiting our factories that build new products and create kits that are delivered to customers through our dealers. I especially enjoy spending time on farms and have recently traveled to Brazil frequently as we establish and grow our technology business there.
what was it like being back on campus to speak at the SASES meeting?
Speaking to SASES brought back many great memories from my time at Ohio State. I recalled several industry field trips and the planning and execution of our responsibilities at the Farm Science Review. I was really impressed with the size of the SASES group and the energy and enthusiasm that the participants had for agriculture.
Students were excited about the future and eager to learn about how artificial intelligence was being integrated into agricultural machines. I shared my views of the technology revolution that’s happening and agriculture and encouraged the participants to lean into the changes and look for ways to leverage them. The meeting was during the NCAA basketball tournament, so we made sure to have the television on during dinner for the Purdue club attendees!
What have been a few highlights of your career so far?
I was very involved with the acquisition that John Deere completed of Blue River Technology, an artificial intelligence startup located in the Silicon Valley. We saw an opportunity to combine their technology with our self-propelled sprayers and create machines that can see and spray only the weeds. After the acquisition, my family and I moved to the Bay Area, and I worked with the Blue River team on the See & Spray product.
Another highlight was getting the opportunity to lead the Deere precision ag team for Europe, which meant we lived in Germany. This was a tremendous experience for my family as we immersed ourselves in the culture and traveled extensively.
Any advice for students considering studying agronomy?
I think a technical (STEM) foundation can be very helpful for a wide range of career paths. My first few positions at John Deere were marketing oriented, but I found that my experience with the scientific method, research, and statistics, enabled me to think critically. My agronomy related studies allowed me to go deep technically but stay practically grounded by interacting with production agriculture stakeholders and field research.
If you'd like to discuss careers in agriculture in more detail with Than - you can reach out to him via LinkedIn, X (@thanhartsock), or email (buckeye797@gmail.com).
And when you're ready to grow your career, we have a wide variety of academic paths for you to choose from...