Members

STAA has more than 50 members companies involved in the Seed Trade Association. Most active and affiliate members are from the Yuma, Arizona and Imperial Valley, CA areas. We are pleased to highlight one of our members.

Member Spotlight

Christian Drye

Bayer/Seminis Vegetable Seeds

Christian is the Desert Southwest Sales Representative of Bayer/Seminis Vegetable Seeds in the Desert Southwest. He currently serves as the 1st Vice President of the Seed Trade Assocation of Arizona (STAA).

Q-How long have you been in the agriculture industry?

I have spent 10 years in the ag industry professionally; but have been involved with ag on and off since my early high school years.

Q-How long have you lived in the (Location)? Have you lived other places?

Most of my life was spent growing up around the Imperial County in California. However, I moved to Yuma permanently 8 years ago when I joined, at the time, Monsanto/Seminis as a Sales Representative. Since being here, I completed my MBA with an emphasis in Leadership, got Married to my beautiful wife Kailea, adopted our Chocolate Lab, Ruby, and welcomed our new baby boy, Branson.

Q-What is your favorite part of being a part of the seed industry?

In short, Finding and/or Creating Solutions for my customers. It lights a fire under me when I see a problem or when someone tells me something can’t be done. I want to find a solution to get it done, period. This might be done through product offerings or simply just sourcing seed from another country to fill a niche demand. On top of that, the people are also my favorite part. Interacting with so many Dealers, Growers, and Shippers on a weekly basis have given meaning and value to what I do every day. It is why I still do what I started out doing 8 years ago.

Q-What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the past year?

That this season is unique to this season…and it was unique to last season and will be unique to next season. But even with that, I’ll sum it up with this quote I adopted 8 years ago…. “Agriculture is the most Healthful, most Useful, and most Noble employment of man” – George Washington. So every year I learn that there is no place I’d rather be than right where I am, doing what I love doing.

Q-What is your favorite produce to eat?

Without a doubt, Sweetcorn! It is the worst for your allergies but the best for your taste buds. Nothing more satisfying than tearing an ear off and taking a bite right there in the field.

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Beach

2023-2024 Directors and Officers

The STAA Board of Directors is comprised of nine directors serving three-year terms. One-third of the directors are elected each year at the annual meeting from among the Association’s active members. No two directors can be representatives of the same active member.

Ex officio directors appointed for one-year terms. They are (1) the executive vice president of the Arizona Crop Improvement Association, (2) a representative of the College of Agriculture at the University of Arizona and (3) a representative of the Arizona Department of Agriculture. The immediate past president is an ex officio member if his or her term as a board member has expired during that year of service.

Officer elections are held at a special board meeting following director elections. A second vice president, a secretary and a treasurer are elected annually. The incumbent first vice president/president elect and second vice president are each elevated to the next position in the rotation.

The officers form an executive committee that conducts Association affairs between meetings of the full board.

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Board of Directors

Christian Drye, President

Seminis Vegetable Seeds
5 West 6th Street
Yuma, AZ 85364
Phone: 928-318-0067

Bobby Garcia, 1st Vice President

Keithly-Williams Seeds, Inc.
5702 W. County 8-1/2 Street
Yuma, AZ 85364
Phone: (928)329-7770

Dillon Chavez, 2nd Vice President

Syngenta Vegetable Seed
2896 E. 16th Street, Unit D
Yuma, AZ 85365
Phone: (928)503-2444

Dwayne Alford, Past President

Barkley Seed, Inc.
P.O. Box 5540
Yuma, AZ 85364
Phone: 928-782-2571
Cell: (928)304-1460
Fax: (928)782-4656

Joe Vandiver, Past President

Rijk Zwaan USA, Inc.
701 La Guardia Street, Suite A
Salinas, CA 93905
Phone: (831)455-3000

Abed Anouti, Treasurer/Ex-Officio (2021-2024)

Arizona Crop Improvement Association
2120 E. Allen Road
Tucson, AZ 85719
Phone: (520)305-3586
Cell: (520)429-1220

Nestor Moyon / Ex-Officio (2021-2024)

Arizona Dept of Agriculture
1931 S. Arizona Avenue, Ste 4
Yuma, AZ 85364
Phone: (928) 341-1758

Tanya Hodges /Ex-Officio (2021-2024)

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
3200 W. 12th Street
Yuma, AZ 85364
Phone: (928)271-9560
Cell: (928)271-9560

Justin Gillies, Director (2022-2025)

Imperial Vegetable Seeds, Inc.
1101 S. McCullom
El Centro, CA 92243-3408
Phone: 760-353-1565
Cell (760)554-6979

Sabrina Hallman, Director (2022-2025)

Sierra Seed Company
P.O Box 7120
Nogales, AZ 85628
Phone: (520)281-9420
Cell: (520)870-2326

Lyle Franklin, Director (2021-2024)

TS&L Seed Company
2743 S Lakin Avenue
Yuma, AZ 85365
Phone: (928)344-1880

Jason Howe, Director (2021-2024)

Keyplex
2037 W. Chico Lane
Yuma, AZ 85365
Cell: (928)750-7287

Current Members

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U W Y

Members

Member Spotlight

Click here for membership application

Click here for more information about Beach

2023-2024 Directors and Officers

Board of Directors

Christian Drye, President

Bobby Garcia, 1st Vice President

Dillon Chavez, 2nd Vice President

Dwayne Alford, Past President

Joe Vandiver, Past President

Abed Anouti, Treasurer/Ex-Officio (2021-2024)

Nestor Moyon / Ex-Officio (2021-2024)

Tanya Hodges /Ex-Officio (2021-2024)

Justin Gillies, Director (2022-2025)

Sabrina Hallman, Director (2022-2025)

Lyle Franklin, Director (2021-2024)

Jason Howe, Director (2021-2024)

Current Members

3 Star Lettuce, LLC

A

Allstar Seed Company

American Takii, Inc.

AMVT, LLC

Arizona Crop Improvement Association

Arizona Department of Agriculture

Arizona Grain, Inc.

Arizona Western college- Ag Science Department

B

Barkley Seed, Inc.

BASF Ag Solutions Seed US

BASF Corporation

Bejo Seeds, Inc.

C

Canyon Seed Company

Castle Dome Seed, LLC

Central Valley Seeds, Inc.

CHK Manufacturing, Inc.

Condor Seed Production, Inc.

Custom Seed Coaters, Inc.

D

Desert Sun Marketing Co, Inc.

DP Seeds LLC

E

East West Seed

Emerald Seed Company

Enza Zaden USA, INC.

F

Farwell Grain Inspection, Inc.

Frost PLLC

G

Germains Seed Technology

Gowan Seed Company, LLC

H

Harris Moran Seed Company/HM Clause

Holaday Seed Company, Inc

I

Imperial Valley Milling

Imperial Vegetable Seeds, Inc.

K

Keithly-Williams Seeds

Keyplex

K-F Seeds

L

London’s Seed Supply

M

Minkus Advertising

N

North Star Packaging, Inc.

Nufarm

Nunhems USA, Inc./BASF

O

Orsetti Seed Company, Inc.

P

Pairwise Plants

Pinnacle Seed

Priority Seed Production, LLC

R

Rijk Zwaan USA, Inc.

River Bush farms