Turnrow Talk: GROWMARK and Evergreen FS

Located in central Illinois, Evergreen FS is in the heart of the Corn Belt. Each year, growers produce some of the best yields in the country on the region’s rich, fertile soils. The boots-on-the-ground team at Evergreen FS is driven to serve those growers and help them reach their highest potential return on investment (ROI).

“The main service we provide to farmers has very little to do with products. Our main job is providing value to our customers. Any product we bring to them is the result of us walking the fields with them and believing the product will improve their ROI. We pride ourselves on offering the best service.”
- John Tuttle, Evergreen FS CEO

Evergreen FS operates in five counties and has four main divisions: agronomy, energy, turf and grain. It is a member of GROWMARK FS Cooperative System.

“Our member owners are the ones on the ground who best understand what the customers need,” says Jeff Bunting, GROWMARK vice president of Crop Protection. “The crop specialists – like the ones John has on his team – work with the farmers to understand their needs and the challenges they face growing a crop each season. They share that information with the member company and GROWMARK. Our focus, then, is to be a reliable supplier, create the perfect order, and do it safely and timely.”

GROWMARK and Evergreen FS build on the knowledge their team gains each season to help with the training and development of crop specialists and to stay on the front lines of new technology and innovation. 

Bunting grew up on a family farm in central Illinois and remembers walking soybean fields with his brothers in the middle of July. He thought, then, there had to be a better, more effective way to control weeds. With the crop protection advancements over the last two decades, Bunting says, the scale and scope of farming has changed, and the services GROWMARK member owners offer have adapted and improved to address those changes.

“We can do many things more efficiently, and we can do a better job with the products we have today,” Bunting explains. “The products are much more efficacious in controlling weeds, insects and diseases. We’ve come a long way in the last 10 years with application technology, and there’s a lot about AI and its role in crop protection.”

Technology, including artificial intelligence, is constantly evolving, and at Evergreen FS, Tuttle says, the employees push themselves to get better at using the latest tech available. One example is tracking tender trucks to be more organized as they take product to the field. Scouting all summer long also is important to Evergreen FS.

“Our agronomists and interns are out scouting fields with a salesperson, and although that’s not unusual in our line of work, we’re coupling it with proprietary technology that helps with disease modeling,” Tuttle says. “That helps predict what kinds of diseases may be coming, and that can give us a leg up on prevention and control for our customers.”

Bunting and Tuttle say working with companies like Corteva Agriscience also helps GROWMARK and Evergreen FS bring the latest crop protection knowledge and innovations to their member owners. They appreciate the investment Corteva makes in research and development to bring different technology and new products — including the Enlist^® weed control system and Resicore^® REV herbicide — to the market to meet their customers’ needs.

“Corteva is finding ways to control and stay ahead of the tough weeds our farmers see today. We’ll have to stay on top of the challenges to meet farmers’ needs. It’s exciting to see GROWMARK and our member companies move in the direction to be timely and more efficient.”
- Jeff Bunting, GROWMARK vice president of crop protection

For Tuttle, a vital part of the relationship with Corteva is the local representative who presents at field days and training events to help ensure customers have a successful experience with the crop protection products.

“Corteva fits hand in hand with our vision statement: To be the best of the best with our partners in all that we do. We view companies like Corteva not as a vendor but as a partner,” Tuttle says. “Corteva can help us be more successful, and by working together, we’re doing what’s best for our customers. We can take advantage of the knowledge Corteva brings to us.”

One example is the use of nitrogen stabilizers. Nitrogen loss has been a topic of discussion for a while, and Tuttle wants to help farmers keep the nitrogen in the soil for the plants to use.

“We’re big believers in Instinct NXTGEN and N-Serve nitrogen stabilizers. They help the soil retain the nitrogen, which is great for the farmer and the environment,” Tuttle says. “Evergreen FS will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. Throughout these 100 years, our goal has remained constant. We are always working toward helping farmers be successful.”

Following burndown, Enlist Duo^® and Enlist One^® herbicides with Colex-D^® technology are the only herbicides containing 2,4-D that are authorized for preemergence and postemergence use with Enlist^® crops. Consult Enlist^® herbicide labels for weed species controlled. Enlist Duo and Enlist One herbicides are not registered for use or sale in all states and counties; are not registered in AK, CA, CT, HI, ID, MA, ME, MT, NH, NV, OR, RI, UT, VT, WA and WY; and have additional subcounty restrictions in AL, GA, TN and TX, while existing county restrictions still remain in FL. All users must check “Bulletins Live! Two” no earlier than six months before using Enlist One or Enlist Duo. To obtain “Bulletins,” consult epa.gov/espp/, call 1-844-447-3813, or email ESPP@epa.gov. You must use the “Bulletin” valid for the month and state and county in which Enlist One or Enlist Duo are being applied. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency if you have questions about the registration status of Enlist® herbicides in your area. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO USE ANY PESTICIDE PRODUCT OTHER THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS LABELING. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. USE OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, 2,4-D-CONTAINING PRODUCTS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE WITH ENLIST CROPS, MAY RESULT IN OFF-TARGET DAMAGE TO SENSITIVE CROPS/AREAS AND/OR SUSCEPTIBLE PLANTS, IN ADDITION TO CIVIL AND/OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. Additional product-specific stewardship requirements for Enlist crops, including the Enlist Product Use Guide, can be found at www.traitstewardship.com. Instinct NXTGEN^®, N-Serve^™, and Resicore^® REV are not registered for sale or use in all states. Resicore REV is not available for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in the state of New York. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Do not fall-apply anhydrous ammonia south of Highway 16 in the state of Illinois. Always read and follow label directions.