GROWMARK’s Dr. Jeffrey Bunting: What It Means to Be a Part of PACE
October 18, 2022 
We sat down with one of our long-time PACE Advisory Council member, Dr. Jeffrey Bunting from GROWMARK, to learn more on his view of the PACE Initiative and our inaugural PACE Executive Forum.
CropLife: Hi Jeff, can you take a moment to tell us a little bit about yourself?
Jeffrey Bunting: I’m currently the Vice President of Crop Protection at GROWMARK. I’m an active member in a number of ag organizations, including American Society of Agronomy, CropLife America, FieldWatch, North Central Weed Science, RISE, and Weed Science Society of America.
CL: How long have you been a member of the PACE Advisory Council?
JB: I believe I have been on the council since 2016.
CL: What made you want to be part of PACE?
JB: I appreciated the chance to network with other industry experts and to provide direction and leadership to the Agriculture Industry. The council is made up of every part of the channel from technology to the last input applied to that acre.
CL: Have you attended past PACE meetings? What value came out of those meetings for you?
JB: Yes. Even though Covid was an issue and it has been difficult to attend in-person meetings over the past few years. I am looking forward to reconnecting this year.
CL: As a board member, why do you think it is beneficial to have opened this forum to a larger group of delegates?
JB: A lot has changed in the last 5 years across the entire ag industry. Many more changes will occur in the next 10 years. One of the things that has inspired me, especially over the last couple of years, is how our industry is reinventing ourselves and it’s important to hear from many voices so that we can work together better.
Dr. Jeffrey Bunting, GROWMARK
CL: What are you most looking forward to this October?
JB: The agenda that is being developed looks to tackle the big topics and will allow the attendees to learn more about those challenges and how to create them into opportunities.
CL: What would you tell your colleagues about PACE?
JB: It is an industry-led forum that will take us into the next generation
CL: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our industry today?
JB: Regulatory comes to the top of my mind. We are in the midst of constant change. How and what we do now will shape the direction and strategy that will lead us into the next decade.
If I ask my members/customers what the biggest challenge is, their first response comes back to labor and finding the talent to join their organization and into the future. I have been blessed to be around some great people, customers, industry associates, etc. I learned from those individuals and from many of you in the industry. The students in college today are capable of leading us in the future. I’m excited about the interactions that I have had them while at GROWMARK, AFA, or other interactions. It’s just going to take all of us to make sure we attract and develop that talent pool, provide them the necessary resources, and retain them.
Note: Dr. Jeffrey Bunting will be a panelist on the session “Thriving in the New Agriculture Ecosystem” during the PACE Executive Forum — an exclusive, new conference born out of CropLife Media Group’s longstanding PACE Initiative. For over 25 years, the PACE Advisory Council has been effective in breaking down silos among the many sectors of agriculture and ag input distribution by sharing challenges and opportunities, learning from one another, and developing strategies for future action.
The PACE Executive Forum will take place October 27-28 in Kansas City, MO. You can view the agenda, learn more, and register, here.
Subscribe Today For
