2020’s Future Giant of the Seed Industry, Jayde Sills, has drive: a drive to help, a drive to succeed and a drive to give.
At 26, Jayde Sills has the uncanny ability to cut through the clutter and focus on what’s truly important for the future of agriculture.
“We need good people that understand agriculture and care about their customers,” she recently said after being named the 2020 Future Giant of the Seed Industry by Seed World. Sills is a talent development specialist at AgReliant Genetics, helping new employees navigate the working world inside an international agribusiness.
“Success starts with passion for what you do,” says Brittiney N. Reese, learning & development specialist with AgReliant Genetics, who was one of Sills’ nominators. “The next step is commitment. Through Jayde’s endeavors, she has demonstrated how her passion translates to her commitment. Jayde embodies the character of a Future Giant. I look forward to watching her continue to grow and make impact in the seed industry.”
Other nominators expressed similar sentiments.
“Not only does Jayde exemplify leadership and a passion for agriculture, she is a wonderful person who is energetic and motivated,” says Tracie M. Egger, PhD, leadership training specialist at AgReliant Genetics. “Because of her leadership background, dedication for professional excellence and ambitious personality, Jayde Sills will continue adding tremendous value to the seed industry.”
Nominees were judged by Seed World‘s Editorial Board and are evaluated based on their dedication to the industry, their ability to make a significant contribution to the seed industry and their leadership both in their place of work and in their community.
Respecting and Loving Agriculture
Sills’ love of agriculture started early and it’s most certainly a family tradition.
“I grew up on a grain and livestock farm in Northeast Indiana,” she says. “My dad farms and my mom is a schoolteacher. A passion for agriculture was instilled in all three of us kids at a very young age. My younger sister Jordyn and I both graduated from Purdue with an agribusiness degree and our younger brother Jackson is a year away from obtaining his.”
It was her childhood on the farm that also introduced her to 4-H, something that’s become a lifelong passion.
“My love for 4-H started at a young age. I am certain that I have attended the Indiana State Fair for 26 years in a row now,” she says. “My parents loved to help young 4-Hers in our community and I was always tagging along. It was and still is our lifestyle. I was very fortunate with parents that provided me with an abundance of opportunities in 4-H. The soft spot from 4-H is simple. As an adult I can now see how much it has shaped me into the person I am today.”
And while agricultural sales is a topic often overlooked by students and graduates, Sills had no doubt that’s where she wanted to be. It all started with a certain salesperson that would come to the Sills farm.
“My dad is a farmer and works with lots of salespeople on his operation,” she says. “But there is one that is more like family than a salesperson, Bob Purlee. He would eat lunch with us, come watch us show our livestock at the fair, bring his kids to our house to play and more. It was Bob that opened my eyes to the fact that being a salesperson is more than just selling something to a farmer or a retailer. It is building a relationship with that person and instilling a trust between the two of you.”
Purlee’s influence showed Sills just how important salespeople are in the business. They have a personal connection and want to see their farmers succeed. They share in the joy of a successful year and bear the burdens of challenges too.
“Agriculture is still very traditional in the sense that people like to buy from those that they trust that they would invite to sit at their kitchen table for a meal or meet their kids. This to me is the reason that salespeople are so important,” Sills adds.
Stepping in as an Influential Woman
Sills also fulfills a role as an influential woman in the agricultural industry. She sees things changing for the better when it comes to equality.
“I was raised in agriculture and was working ground, feeding cows, doing all the jobs that a man might do at a young age,” she says. “I thought being a female in agriculture was ‘normal’. It was not until I attended Purdue and started to pursue my career that I realized that by being a woman in agriculture, I was a minority.”
As part of the leadership team for AgReliant Genetics’ women’s network, Sills has seen how talking about equality in the workplace is moving in the right direction.
“It is going to take men and women bringing awareness and having uncomfortable conversations on the topic to help drive change in our industry. Women make great leaders and deserve the opportunity to be taken seriously, but it takes men supporting these women and having conversations,” she says.
Serving as a talent development specialist at AgReliant Genetics means two days are rarely the same. Graduation students are typically offered a position in the fall but don’t start until May, so keeping in touch during that period is critical.
“I stay connected via phone calls, emails and texts,” she says. “I then work to prepare them for their first day, from updating our training guide to ordering them their laptop, iPad and company truck.”
Sills explained that in the first year, new hires spend time at production and research locations, at company headquarters and working on projects that contribute to their sales team. She says delivering information throughout the process is critical.
“My goal for the group is to ensure that I am providing them with learning opportunities the month before they’ll need that skill. From my experience, it is challenging to receive all the information you need to do your job within the first three weeks but then not practice that learning for another six months or more.”
It comes as no surprise that the most reward part of Sills’ job is helping others.
“I want to help ensure these young people start their career off on the right track with AgReliant Genetics,” she said. “Nothing is more exciting for me than to see someone who has gone through the program succeed and excel in their role within the organization. It is the best feeling when new sales employees see truly how vital all roles are in the organization.”
Each year, Seed World, in partnership with the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) recognize a Future Giant of the industry.
Nominations are completed by co-workers, supervisors, teachers, clients and a host of other industry players when they believe someone is worthy of the honor.
The program is open to nominees who are in graduate or undergraduate program in post-secondary education and intend to pursue a career in the seed industry, or nominees who are currently employed by a seed company, laboratory or university and are seen as an up and coming leader. 
Want to nominate a Future Giant in 2021? Make sure to fill out our nomination form and send it to Alex Martin.
