Advanta Seeds adds Leo Brown to lead forage Business Development

Leo Brown, Advanta Seeds Business Development Manager - Forages

Advanta Seeds, a global agriculture company specializing in seeds and agricultural solutions, announces the addition of Leo Brown as Business Development Manager for forages.

In his new role, Brown will lead efforts to broaden Advanta and Alta Seeds relationships within the dairy and fed cattle industry. Key to this relationship is providing growers and feeders solutions to lowering input costs while exceeding cattle production goals with forage sorghums. He will spearhead educational efforts helping farmers and nutritionists identify where forage sorghum fits their operation along with the feeding, performance and economic advantages compared to other forages.

"Advanta Seeds is a global leader in sorghum genetics with industry-leading traits for greater drought tolerance and water-use-efficiency. Livestock producers are especially interested in our advanced BMR-6 Brachytic Dwarf characteristics for a quality feed source with high digestibility, improved animal performance and excellent standabilty," Brown said. "As a dairy and crop farmer, I have personally experienced the challenge of reducing feed costs while maintaining high production levels in a competitive financial climate. I look forward to working with dairy and beef operations to take full advantage of the Alta Seeds forage sorghum portfolio."

Brown has more than 25 years of experience in the agriculture industry covering business strategy, sales, marketing, training and education. Throughout his career, he has worked with livestock producers, nutritionists, industry influencers and statewide leaders in crop and livestock sectors.

"Leo has extensive knowledge of the livestock industry and will provide valuable insight to help producers improve profitability," said Brad Holzworth, Advanta Seeds Director of Marketing for North America. "His close relationships with U.S. livestock producers and nutritionists will be a valuable asset as we identify industry needs and develop solutions for our customers."

Brown earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and an Executive MBA from the Pioneer Institute at Purdue University. Customers will rely on Brown for farm management advice, drawing from his experience and certification as a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) and Professional Animal Scientist (PAS) for dairy, beef cattle and pork.

Prior to joining Advanta Seeds, Brown most recently worked with Feedworks USA as a Technical Feed Ingredients Sales Manager. He has also held positions at Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer, PerforMix Nutrition and the University of Minnesota Extension Service.