A turning point in his life occurred when a biology teacher created a year-long class assignment for students to monitor and report everything they discovered across a quarter of an acre. Dodd became enthralled with nature.
"I remember seeing an owl in a tree. I noticed things like insects and worms that most kids in the class simply overlooked," Dodd says. "After high school, I thought UC Davis would be a cool place to go. I got accepted, but a BA degree required a language, so I defaulted to the college of agriculture and earned a BS in entomology."
Finding a summer job with Wilbur-Ellis as a field scout set the direction of his career compass. Zipping from field to field in a Volkswagen Bug, Dodd was a guided free spirit.
"My Marine father instilled a great work ethic in me, so I was willing to work — hard," Dodd says. "Back then, there was very little rice in California. I scouted sugar beets, corn, wheat and tomatoes."
After gaining a few years of experience in the ag industry, Dodd and a friend started a spreading business. They established a solid reputation by developing strong relationships with farmers. They outperformed their competition by working closely with farmers and solving production issues.
"We eventually sold the business, but the new owners saw value in our family-oriented business model," Dodd says. "Growers Ag Service was eventually purchased and today is called Grow West."
Dodd consulted on various crops during this time, including prunes, almonds and walnuts. When pest control advisers joined the company, he parceled out the walnut orchards and a few row crops to them and began concentrating solely on rice. He admits it has been a joy to see California's rice industry grow and prosper.
Attributes and Consulting Style
Today, Dodd continues to enjoy solving problems. His days are often long, and he remains true to the relationship-based style of consulting that endears him to farmers.
"Each day is different. Sometimes I have to put my foot down and tell a farmer, no, he shouldn't do that," Dodd says. "One grower told me, 'I need you to tell me what I don't want to hear!' But the biggest compliment I've ever been given was when a farmer told me he does business with me because he trusts me."
That trust was built through years of on-point recommendations and personal attributes such as integrity and character. Although Dodd has made mistakes, he has owned up to each one and never tried to bluff his way through.
"It's not just about recommending a chemical application," Dodd says. "It's about working with growers and explaining why a recommendation is necessary and how the crop will benefit. From the cultural aspects of production, to verifying a herbicide was applied correctly and is working – or why it's not, you have to get in the field and on top of the crop during the season."
Today, the next generation of Grow West consultants are training under Dodd's tutelage. Eventually, they will take over his farmer client base.
"The farmers I work with are true stewards of the land. Most of them are involved in habitat management programs. There's a lot of habitat improvement here in northern California," Dodd says.
Providing Service
Grow West is a full-service operation. From seed, fertilizers and chemicals to soil testing and consulting, Dodd and the Grow West team can accommodate the needs of any farming operation.
“Our farmer clients are so busy managing their farming operations, they rely on us to keep an eye on their crops and make timely recommendations,” Dodd says. “There are a lot of nuances to recommendations that are important, like reminding applicators to watch out for power lines, or there’s a school nearby.”
Because recommendations take time to write and are time sensitive, Dodd often crafts recommendations during so-called off hours, at night or before his day begins, during the three-month growing season that keeps him in fields all day every day.
“After that busy period, the frantic activity slows into a typical 14-hour day,” Dodd says. “I love agriculture and getting to see all the critters who make the countryside their home. It feeds my soul. It’s what gets me up every day.”
Dodd remains a true blue-collar person. He never touts his own accomplishments, so he was genuinely humbled when he learned so many people supported his nomination for 2024 Rice Consultant of the Year.
“I thank Corteva Agriscience and Rice Farming Magazine for supporting rice consultants and sponsoring this award,” Dodd says. “It means so much to me, my family and our entire Grow West team.”
Log on to Corteva.us/Solutions or visit with your Corteva Agriscience sales representative to learn more about Tolvera herbicide and the entire portfolio of Corteva Agriscience crop protection solutions.
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