Farm4Profit Podcast
Hunting, Bourbon, and Ag Tech: Hanging out with a Doctor! - Eric Scherder
Thu, 27 Feb 2025
We dive into the career and passions of Dr. Eric Scherder, a key figure at Corteva Agriscience. From his roots in Iowa to his role in shaping the future of agricultural innovations, Eric shares his experiences and wisdom. We discuss the most exciting advancements he’s been a part of, his advice for aspiring ag professionals, and his hopes for the next generation of farmers. Beyond work, Eric opens up about his love for hunting, his favorite bourbons, and what family dinner conversations look like at his house. Tune in for a mix of agriculture, innovation, and good old-fashioned fun! Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don’t forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: [email protected]/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/
Chapter 1: Who is Dr. Eric Scherder and what is his background?
Today on the Farm for Fun show, we meet up with a man that started his life in Missouri growing hogs. And you're going to listen to this story and you're going to go, what the heck? Because there was like 600 some sows, seven different... Breeds? Purebreds. Purebreds? Crazy. From that to now he's a doctor. He started in the seed industry, and now he's in the chemistry side of things for Corteva.
Please welcome from Central Iowa, Mr. Dr. Eric Schurter.
Oh, yeah.
I like how you put in there, Dr. Schurter. Mr. Doctor. Welcome to the podcast.
There is a podcast in Iowa. Fund for profit was named by they. They stirred up a banker near. Then quick came an auctioneer. Making profit was their first goal. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Soon may the farmers come to bring us guests and beer and fun. One day when the recording's done, we'll take our mics and One day when the coating's done, we'll take our mics and go.
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Chapter 2: What are the family and personal interests of Dr. Eric Scherder?
I was on R&D tour, and they said, hey, this Roundup thing, we hear it's coming. That's like a flash in the pan. That won't amount to nothing. We've got 95% of this market. We're going to keep it. Well, when you do one thing and you do it over and over and over, you develop resistance. And we did. It was good technology. Still, we use it today, to be honest. It still has value. Yeah.
But we just wore it out. And then we did the same thing with glyphosate. And we didn't learn a lesson. We just, let's get away from residuals. Let's get away from multiple modes of action. It just works so well. I mean, you can't blame a farmer when you kill everything out there in one shot.
Yeah. I remember talking to agronomists in mid-2000s. They're like, yeah, we're not really needed anymore. You go out and scout. They didn't even scout. They're like, yeah, it looks like needs 32 ounces of Roundup or 24 ounces of Roundup.
Yeah. Well, that really kind of, I'd say it set us back because we had the Roundup generation. We had people that didn't even know how to weed ID. They didn't need to. And then now when you're talking about multiple modes of action, they go, what's multiple mode of action? So that's why we're re-educating everyone again. And that's hopefully why we're getting through on education.
If we don't do something, You've got to preserve these technologies because it's taken us, not just us, the industry so long to get the next generation out. We're not able to bail your keister out this time. I mean, if you burn up resistance here, you're going to pay $70 to $80 to a hoeing crew to come out and do beans. And I don't think anybody wants to pay that if you can find the labor.
Or just pay for it and lost yield.
Or, yeah, just lost yield, yeah. Which then you're going to pay for it the next year in lost yield, even worse, because you've got more to deal with. So this is, I mean, and this year, like we all know, farming in 25 is going to be tough. Just with the economy, the prices, it's going to be a tougher year. Yeah. People are going to be looking for ways to, how do I save dollars?
Well, if I can save $6 an acre across 1,000 acres, that's real money. That is. I don't blame a farm, but is that $6,000 you saved this year? Is that worth the next $20,000 you've got to spend for the next 10 years because of this? I don't have that easy answer, folks. I mean, that's a tough decision at times, but those are the conversations hopefully farmers are thinking about.
I just, in my mind, I'm envisioning like the Big Bang Theory TV show and Leonard and Sheldon are writing stuff on a whiteboard and everybody's trying to find the next new thing that's going to be effective. Does that actually happen behind the scenes? Is it just giant whiteboards upon whiteboards of chemistry?
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Chapter 3: How did Dr. Eric Scherder transition to Corteva Agriscience?
How do you go from being a nerd to being a
Well, so when we joined the two companies together, that's one thing, I guess. I've had a lot of passions in a lot of different areas. I love meeting with growers. I like the research side of the business. I like the data side of the business. I've always liked marketing. I mean, there's not a side I don't like. I don't want to do any one side for too long.
That's how you spend as much time at a company as you have. Yeah. Because it's not been the same job for 18 years or whatever it's been. Yeah.
Yeah. So if you had to do the same thing over day after day, like working on a construction line and an auto parts factory, man, that would drive. For a day, it'd be probably really cool. But after that, I'm the worst employee there. I can tell you that. I'm ready to leave.
I'm that truck driver that takes a different route home as often as I can.
Well, and that's what I kind of did is they said, hey, I still love R&D. I work with a lot of R&D folks every day still. They said, you know, as we brought these two companies together, would you come over to the commercial side, the sales side of the business, and help us bring these two portfolios together, help train, educate? And I enjoyed it, did that job for about two years.
And they said, hey, would you go to marketing? They could really use your expertise over there and help them bring new products to the market and launches and
Make sure they don't put wheat on a corn flyer.
Yeah, something like that, you know. And I still do that. And then they said, hey, would you manage the enlist team and help with that team? Sure enough. And I've always – it's like – I've had a lot of different job tiles. I don't know if my job's ever changed. I've reported up differently. I don't do research.
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