Growing up on a small dairy farm in Northeast Wisconsin, Liz Rehberg, a 2010 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, always knew she would be involved in agriculture. From a young age, she watched a crop scout come to her family’s farm and walk the fields—advising on everything from managing weeds to insects to disease—to help her dad make decisions.
“I saw what that agronomist did with my dad and the support he was able to provide, and I thought, ‘what a great way to work with farmers and help them,’” said Rehberg.
Now, in her eighth year with Pioneer, Corteva Agriscience’s flagship seed brand, she has found her own way to help farmers. “I love the depth of services and resources that we have to help farmers,” said Rehberg, who is a strategic account manager, now living in Whitewater, Wisconsin. “Every farm is different, and having all these resources in our back pocket and the team and services to support our customers is amazing.”
Rehberg’s sentiment models the values Corteva Agriscience hopes to live with its purpose “to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come.”
Corteva Agriscience is now the newest corporate sponsor of UW-Platteville, recently pledging support for 2022, so that connections between the university and company can continue to grow, paving the way for more Pioneers, like Rehberg, to carry out its mission.
When Rehberg reflects back on her journey from a Pioneer at UW-Platteville to a leader at Corteva Agriscience, she emphasizes the importance of building relationships along the way.
“Agriculture is a very small group of people, especially when you start working in the same state,” said Rehberg. “That’s why you should build as many relationships as you can in college and get involved. You’re going to work with those people quite often.”
She experienced this herself before even stepping foot on campus at UW-Platteville.
“I did a variety of extracurricular activities while at UW-Platteville, but the Crops Team was the most impactful,” said Rehberg. “Dr. Higgs [Dr. Roger Higgs, emeritus professor of agriculture and former coach of the Crops Team] actually reached out to me before I even started at UW-Platteville. My cousin had been on the UW-Platteville Crops Team about 20 years before, and when Dr. Higgs saw my name, he mailed me a hand-written letter, asking if I was related. I joined the Crops Team my first year, and it completely changed my world. It took me to Chicago, Kansas City, Texas and South Dakota. And it exposed me to a world of agriculture that I didn’t know existed.”
In addition to competing on the Crops Team, Rehberg said that doing field work and research with Dr. Chris Baxter was another impactful experience.
“The level of care that professors had at UW-Platteville was top notch,” said Rehberg. “They cared about you as a human being and your hopes and dreams.”
These combined experiences and faculty mentors helped launch Rehberg into her career today with Corteva Agriscience – a company she continues to grow with.
“The culture at Corteva Agriscience is absolutely outstanding,” said Rehberg. “We have so many opportunities to grow and develop and have connections throughout the company.”
For more information on Corteva Agriscience, visit: www.corteva.com. For more information on Corteva Agriscience employment, including internships and co-op programs, visit https://careers.corteva.com/other-opportunities/.