Introducing Outstanding in Your Field: Meet Your Hosts

Outstanding in Your Field is the podcast created for farmers and powered by Pioneer Agronomy bringing you trusted insights and proven solutions to fuel forward-thinking farming. In this kickoff minisode, meet your hosts: Brian Schrader, Eastern Indiana agronomist with nearly 25 years at Pioneer Carl Joern, covering Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois Crystal Williams, serving Northern Illinois along the I-88 corridor Together, this trio represents deep roots in agriculture—from dairy farms and Purdue soil fertility legacies to growing up in the Pioneer brand itself. They share how they got started, what fuels their passion for agronomy, and yes… what they like least about the job (spoiler: muddy boots and pollinating corn make the list). What You’ll Hear in This Episode: The personal journeys that led each host to Pioneer Why walking fields with growers is still the best classroom How they explain “agronomist” to non-farmers (think: plant doctors, IT support for corn and soybeans) The challenges of solving complex field problems with no easy answers A shared commitment to education, actionable insights, and helping growers raise their yield bar Consider it the modern evolution of the classic “Walking Your Fields” newsletter, now in audio form. Whether you farm in Indiana, Illinois, or anywhere across the Eastern Corn Belt, this podcast is built to help you make confident decisions in your fields. Listen in, share your feedback, and let us know what agronomic topics you want covered next! Outstanding in Your Field is the podcast created for farmers and powered by Pioneer Agronomy—bringing you trusted insights and proven solutions to fuel forward-thinking farming.Hosted by agronomists Brian Schrader (eastern Indiana), Carl Joern (northwest Indiana/northeast Illinois), and Crystal Williams (northern Illinois), this show delivers timely, practical agronomic advice you can apply directly to your fields across the Eastern Corn Belt.