The University of Wyoming Extension welcomes Dan VanderPloeg as an agriculture and natural resources educator serving Washakie County.
VanderPloeg graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s in agroecology. He achieved a master’s degree in seed technology and business from Iowa State University in 2022.
“Dan comes to us with a wealth of experience, having worked in the ag industry for several years,” says Bridger Feuz, associate director of UW Extension. “He will be a great resource for Washakie County.”
VanderPloeg has worked as an agronomist for Corteva Agriscience since 2014. In this position, he maintained relationships with growers and kept them informed about current issues in alfalfa seed production in Wyoming and Montana. He also researched pesticide application and efficacy.
Prior to his position at Corteva, VanderPloeg spent more than a decade as a sales manager with two Colorado companies, Shop Outfitters and PlasmaCAM. He organized events, led teams that improved company sales and created programs that helped reach new customers.
VanderPloeg enjoys working with his community to find innovative solutions to problems. “What we do is special,” he says. “Around two percent of the U.S. population engages in agriculture. That makes us unique, and we shouldn’t lose sight of that.”
VanderPloeg started his new role with UW Extension on March 27. He can be contacted at dvanderp@uwyo.edu.
