As the new Vice President of Agronomy and Business Development for Meristem, Tim Eyrich brings extensive experience with the science and education required for the successful implementation of biological crop inputs in the marketplace.
“The science behind formulation of the products needs to set the plant up to be hospitable to the microbes. Meristem’s patented Bio-Capsule™ delivery system provides the nutrients and enzymes to build the home — the plant — so the microbes have someplace to colonize and do what they’re supposed to do,” Eyrich said. “And then with the right formulations, one of the biggest challenges is transferring the knowledge to the growers so they understand how those formulations can benefit their farms.”
Eyrich grew up in southeast Arizona where cotton was king. He learned about production of the crop from a local farmer who would later become his father-in-law. This led him to the University of Arizona for a degree in agronomy and plant physiology.
After college in the early 1980s, he worked with one of the first commercial plant growth regulators on the market.
“It did not get a lot of traction at first, because the sales team couldn’t explain the value of the PGR to the farmers,” Eyrich said. “When I got on the sales side, I actually started doing the sales training on how PGRs work and why farmers want them in their cotton.”
Since then, Eyrich has built a broad career with several different companies around the science of formulating products and working with educating agronomists and farmers in applying the science to crop production.
“Half my career has been on-farm production or consulting. The other half has been in product development, agronomic nutrition and education,” he said. “I’ve carved out a niche teaching growers about nutrition for the physiology of the plant by making it understandable to them. The closer we can get to the grower with the message, the more successful we’re going to be. The Meristem direct-to-farm model facilitates that grower education.”
In addition, Eyrich has experience working with the regulatory processes for biological crop inputs. He has worked with a wide range of crops including potatoes, fruit, small grains, forages, corn, and soybeans. He resides in Chesterfield County, Virginia with his wife, Kathy.
“I have known and worked with Tim for many years,” said Mitch Eviston, Meristem founder and CEO. “He brings insight and expertise to better position Meristem for a future of taking cost out and producing more bushels for less. I am really excited to welcome Tim to the team.”
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