Aaron Groves

Farm Manager @Black Gold Farms

Charleston, MO, US

Provide the team leadership to ensure a well-maintained, productive, and positive working environment.•Develop staffing plans for all seasons of operation to meet production needs. Coordinate farm activities and provide direction and support to employees including training and development.•Create an annual budget for the Charleston, MO Region that allows the operation to meet or exceed cost per cwt expectations.•Establish long-term relationships with potential and current land partners to procure premium ground for annual potato production.•Coordinate all aspects of harvest and transportation through communication with field harvest and wash plant personnel ensuring the delivery of high-quality potatoes from the field or storage, on a timely and efficient basis.•Assume land acquisition responsibilities through knowledge of local soils, landowners, and irrigation ensuring that pre-crop histories and land partner information is complete.•Manage all crop production operations including seed handling, land preparation, planting, spraying,irrigation, fertility planning, cultivating, and harvest for optimum yield, quality, and crop input.•Collaborate with onsite Agronomist and regional agronomy support to ensure timely scheduling of pest scouting, spraying fertigation, and irrigation according to stages of potato plant growth, plant nutrition, and the presence of diseases and insects.•Oversee preventive maintenance and appropriate parts inventory for all equipment including preseason inspections and repairing planting, production, harvest, storage, and shipping equipment as required.

Bakersfield College

Associate of Science - AS, Agronomy and Crop Science

University of La Verne

Bachelor of Education - BEd, Elementary Education and Teaching