Serving Agtegra Territory and Beyond
Feb 26, 2021
By Sadie Vander Wal
Marketing Intern
For Agtegra employee Dustin Christofferson, service extends past his customers’ needs.
Christofferson, the Bowdle Innovation Center lead and agronomy location manager, has dedicated the past 12 years to serving his country though the South Dakota Army National Guard. His service to both South Dakota and the nation parallels his unmatched commitment to Agtegra customers.
“I always had my sights set on the military,” Christofferson said. “I have a lot of family history in the military, with one grandfather serving in World War II, the other in the Korean War, an uncle in Vietnam and cousins in the Gulf War.”
Over the years, Christofferson has worked his way to the ranks of staff sergeant with the 235th military police company based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
In 2013, Christofferson went on combat deployment to Afghanistan. A year later, he joined the Agtegra team as a precision ag specialist at the Bath Innovation Center before becoming a precision service coordinator and now the Bowdle Innovation Center lead and agronomy location manager.
As a National Guard member, Christofferson serves on both a state and national scale. Over the years, he has been a part of several notable events, including being deployed to Washington, D.C., for President Joe Biden’s inauguration in response to the preceding Capitol events. Christofferson’s unit was also called to serve at President Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017.
On the state level, Christofferson has been called to duty for civil unrest and protests in Sioux Falls and other communities this past summer. In 2011, he spent the summer in Dakota Dunes providing security for the community as the Missouri River flooded much of the city.
“You never know when those events might happen or when we might be called up,” Christofferson said.
Christofferson is also a member of the state combat marksmanship team where he competes in regional and national competitions and is able to teach his troops marksmanship skills.
Balancing work with military duties can be challenging, especially when called upon quickly to respond to unexpected events. However, Christofferson knows he can rely on his Agtegra team to take care of his customers in his absence, just as he knows he can rely on members of his squad in the National Guard.
“In the National Guard, it takes a good, well-trained team to get the job done,” Christofferson said. “The same goes here at Agtegra. When I need to be gone with the National Guard, my team steps up and takes care of the relationships I’ve built with growers over the years.”
At Agtegra, Christofferson’s responsibilities continue to grow with the business. However, Christofferson sees his job as much more than business and sales; he perpetually builds relationships with growers and brings them new technology and options for their operations.
“I view each farm as its own custom project, and working at Agtegra and having in-house experts in agronomy and technology is similar to having access to a giant toolbox,” Christofferson said. “Not every producer has the same needs or goals, but once you help them define those, you can help drive their profitability, help them continue to invest into technology and provide them with a good experience with not just the Innovation Center, but with the entire cooperative.”
In addition to Christofferson, two other Agtegra employees are also a part of his military police unit. Electrician Joseph Score and agronomy operations team member Anthony Wika continue to serve alongside Christofferson after having been deployed to Afghanistan together eight years ago. In addition to being in the same unit, Wika is also a member of Christofferson’s squad.
Whether he is serving Agtegra customers or the nation’s citizens, Christofferson continuously puts others before himself.
“In the end it’s about paying it back to those veterans who fought for us to enjoy all the things we often take for granted,” Christofferson said. “I have some amazing angels who gave me lessons I will always cherish. Quoting John Glenn, ‘There are men and women whose dedication to purpose, love of country and dedication to duty was more important than life itself. It is their self-sacrifice that has made this country possible.’”
Marketing Intern
For Agtegra employee Dustin Christofferson, service extends past his customers’ needs.
Christofferson, the Bowdle Innovation Center lead and agronomy location manager, has dedicated the past 12 years to serving his country though the South Dakota Army National Guard. His service to both South Dakota and the nation parallels his unmatched commitment to Agtegra customers.
“I always had my sights set on the military,” Christofferson said. “I have a lot of family history in the military, with one grandfather serving in World War II, the other in the Korean War, an uncle in Vietnam and cousins in the Gulf War.”
Over the years, Christofferson has worked his way to the ranks of staff sergeant with the 235th military police company based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
In 2013, Christofferson went on combat deployment to Afghanistan. A year later, he joined the Agtegra team as a precision ag specialist at the Bath Innovation Center before becoming a precision service coordinator and now the Bowdle Innovation Center lead and agronomy location manager.
As a National Guard member, Christofferson serves on both a state and national scale. Over the years, he has been a part of several notable events, including being deployed to Washington, D.C., for President Joe Biden’s inauguration in response to the preceding Capitol events. Christofferson’s unit was also called to serve at President Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017.
On the state level, Christofferson has been called to duty for civil unrest and protests in Sioux Falls and other communities this past summer. In 2011, he spent the summer in Dakota Dunes providing security for the community as the Missouri River flooded much of the city.
“You never know when those events might happen or when we might be called up,” Christofferson said.
Christofferson is also a member of the state combat marksmanship team where he competes in regional and national competitions and is able to teach his troops marksmanship skills.
Balancing work with military duties can be challenging, especially when called upon quickly to respond to unexpected events. However, Christofferson knows he can rely on his Agtegra team to take care of his customers in his absence, just as he knows he can rely on members of his squad in the National Guard.
“In the National Guard, it takes a good, well-trained team to get the job done,” Christofferson said. “The same goes here at Agtegra. When I need to be gone with the National Guard, my team steps up and takes care of the relationships I’ve built with growers over the years.”
At Agtegra, Christofferson’s responsibilities continue to grow with the business. However, Christofferson sees his job as much more than business and sales; he perpetually builds relationships with growers and brings them new technology and options for their operations.
“I view each farm as its own custom project, and working at Agtegra and having in-house experts in agronomy and technology is similar to having access to a giant toolbox,” Christofferson said. “Not every producer has the same needs or goals, but once you help them define those, you can help drive their profitability, help them continue to invest into technology and provide them with a good experience with not just the Innovation Center, but with the entire cooperative.”
In addition to Christofferson, two other Agtegra employees are also a part of his military police unit. Electrician Joseph Score and agronomy operations team member Anthony Wika continue to serve alongside Christofferson after having been deployed to Afghanistan together eight years ago. In addition to being in the same unit, Wika is also a member of Christofferson’s squad.
Whether he is serving Agtegra customers or the nation’s citizens, Christofferson continuously puts others before himself.
“In the end it’s about paying it back to those veterans who fought for us to enjoy all the things we often take for granted,” Christofferson said. “I have some amazing angels who gave me lessons I will always cherish. Quoting John Glenn, ‘There are men and women whose dedication to purpose, love of country and dedication to duty was more important than life itself. It is their self-sacrifice that has made this country possible.’”