Our People

You can trace the man Tyler Lloyd is today to his days as a boy out in the dirt on the family’s seed potato farm in Southeast Idaho. He was his dad’s little helper and drove the tractor once he was old enough. And all the time, Tyler watched. As his father handled the daily work, Tyler learned. As his father met the challenges farming can present, Tyler grew.

Tyler is now an Area Manager at Canyon Falls Farms in American Falls, Idaho, responsible for about 16,000 acres, and he hasn’t forgotten his roots. He’s thankful for those day-to-day experiences with his dad.

“All those individual things, that’s ultimately what got me to where I am,” Tyler said.

Tyler went to college at Utah State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in business finance and agricultural management, before going to work for Rocky Mountain Power. After a few years, Tyler realized he missed farming, so he went to work on a large family farm in the Magic Valley.

“There’s just something about playing in the dirt and being around the tractors,” Tyler said. “That was always in the back of my mind and drew me back in.”

Nine years later, Tyler made the move to Canyon Falls Farms, which he had heard good things about from a trusted source.

“Actually, my wife ended up here first,” Tyler said. “She took an accounting job here a few months prior to me. When a farm manager job opened up, I just threw my name in.”

Tyler’s duties on the farm include managing agronomic plans, overseeing farm managers, irrigation, and the purchasing of capital equipment.

“It could be days spent here in front of the computer preparing analyses, presentations, and then there’s some days out in the field with farm managers digging in the crops and checking for disease and making sure things are good there,” Tyler said. “It provides a bit of variety throughout the growing season.”

Tyler said Canyon Falls Farms is always open to learning about the latest technology updates. One thing that makes life easier is the advanced farm management system that is used at the farm.

“It is a program that lets us track all our applications, whether that's chemical, whether that’s fertilizer, our seed, all our tillage, all our passes across that whole field, and keep track down to the cent of how much was spent on that field. It’s a great tool to have that just came out the last few years,” he said.

Tyler pointed out another platform that assists with managing their fleet of tractors: “We can see in real time, and even on our phones, how that tractor’s doing, how much diesel it’s burning, how many hours it’s been in that field, its overall utilization. It allows us to be more lean and run more efficiently.”

While the farm is large and opportunities are plentiful, the people are what Tyler likes best.

“You get to rub shoulders every day with the diversity of the different minds and how we each approach farming in a different way,” he said. “When we can sit down at a table and collaborate on the farm’s vision moving forward for the year, I love that perspective. It’s helped me learn and grow, not only from an agronomic standpoint, but also from a business standpoint.”

It comes as no surprise that Tyler would recommend Canyon Falls Farms to someone considering applying for a job.

“The first thing I’d say is it’s a great place to work, culturally,” he said. “The work-life balance is good. Second, if you’re looking for some opportunity to grow and push yourself, then this is the place.”

Shawn Foster is a perfect example of someone moving up through the ranks, although truth be told, the Area Manager at Canyon Falls Farms began his journey with a wrong move.

“All my life I wanted to go to medical school,” Shawn said. “That’s what I always wanted to do and up until my first year at college, that’s where I wanted to be. But after doing some shadowing of doctors and being in that setting a little bit, I realized, ‘No, this is not where I want to be.’”

Shawn, who grew up down the road in Aberdeen, and graduated from Aberdeen High, realized that his true passion was in agriculture.

“After I realized I didn’t want to be a doctor, I went back to my roots and here I am,” Shawn said.

Shawn went to Utah State University, where he majored in plant science with an emphasis in research and minored in Portuguese and agribusiness. During his sophomore year, a recruiting team from AgriNorthwest, a flagship operation of AgReserves, visited the school to give a presentation and conduct interviews for internships.

“I interviewed and was offered an internship position for that summer,” Shawn said. “At the end of the summer, they offered me another internship to come back the following summer, which I did.”

At the end of Shawn’s second internship, he was offered a job as an ag tech for the following year, after his graduation. He said yes to that as well, moved to the Pacific Northwest, and rose through the ranks until he was a Farm Unit Manager responsible for 5,000 acres. After the 2021 purchase of what is now Canyon Falls Farms, Shawn was asked if he’d be interested in returning to Idaho.

“Ultimately, the answer was yes, and here I am now as an Area Manager,” Shawn said. “It was a great opportunity to progress in my career, and the fact that I could come back home to an area that I grew up in and know so well was also very intriguing and exciting.”

Shawn hopes prospective employees of Canyon Falls Farms can get excited about following a path like his.

“I had that excitement as an intern of being able to see, one, this place is a good place, and the people that we work with are wonderful,” Shawn said. “Two, the size of the operation, the magnitude of what we’ve got, and the opportunities that come with that. And three, the growth opportunities excited me. As we look to the younger, up-and-coming individuals who are looking to stay in ag, I hope we can attract them through some of those things.”

If that’s not enough, Shawn points to changes in technology that are coming to the farm: “New chemistries are coming down the pipeline, new equipment, updated equipment, larger equipment. New technology as far as GPS autonomous tractors. They are things that we’re constantly looking at to see how we can get better as an operation. What’s going to make us more sustainable in the future, what’s going to help us cut costs?”

A large portion of Shawn’s daily duties involve working with the Farm Unit Managers, who each oversee anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 acres, to produce the best crops possible.

“Early in the season, I’m working with them closely to put those plans together,” Shawn said. “Then as the season goes on, I’m working closely with them to make sure that those plans are being carried out and we’re hitting the quality spec that we need to. I guess my day-to-day would be a lot of following up with them, and working with them, and supporting them in their roles.”

As it turns out, the people at Canyon Falls Farms are what Shawn likes the most about his job.

“I feel like top to bottom, we’ve got a really good team,” Shawn said. “Being able to learn from them and grow from their experiences, and for my knowledge to hopefully help them in their careers and their progression as well, I really enjoy that.”

When Scott Hudson graduated from college and embarked on an accounting career, it would have been difficult to foresee him winding up at Canyon Falls Farms (CFF). Yet, here he is, a Senior Controller managing the financial team.

Scott spent three years as a public accountant, and then joined AgReserves, an international operating subsidiary of Farmland Reserve, which has a farming and ranching legacy of nearly a century. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, AgReserves offers a controller trainee program that caught Scott’s eye. Scott excelled in the program and soon found himself traveling the country to set up financial teams.

First, he headed to the Pacific Northwest when onion supplier River Point Farms was acquired. Then it was off to help start up Deseret Cattle & Timber when land was purchased in the Florida Panhandle.

“I was there for a couple years and then once we bought Canyon Falls, I ended up coming here to get things rolling,” Scott said. “So, this is my third operation that I’ve helped get up and running. I like that challenge of getting the people in place and training and just turning it into the operation that was anticipated, or that the executives imagined it would be. Putting that into action, that’s very exciting for me. I’ve really enjoyed that.”

At CFF, Scott oversees a team of six, making sure generally accepted accounting principles are followed. Data is also collected and reported so informed decisions can be made. And, of course, there are plenty of strategy meetings. The work might be something Scott had expected for himself. But the setting? Not so much.

“It was kind of an accident,” Scott said of winding up in agriculture. “My wife grew up on a little ranch, very much a hobby farm type of thing. I grew up in the city, so farming was very new to me. I knew a little bit after I got married, but I didn’t ever have any intention of joining a farming company.”

Scott acknowledges he wanted to return to Idaho. He was raised in Everett, Washington, but moved to Idaho when he was a junior in high school. He graduated from high school in Boise before attending college at BYU-Idaho. And, of course, his wife was from Idaho.

“It’s very nice; it’s a farm friendly state, and there’s good people,” Scott said. “There’s lots of activities to do in Idaho. You’ve got the mountains close by, there’s lots of recreational opportunities.”

One of the highlights of working at CFF is the technology Scott sees in use every day, new technology such as the CFF farm management system.

“You can go in and see a satellite view of the farm and then you can overlay crops and get information. You can click on the fields and say we’re going to apply this much chemical or fertilizer. That allows the farmers to be able to see what they’re doing and keep a record.

“Then, from there, from a financial perspective, we can pull that information. Pretty much as soon as they put it on, we’ve got a record of the information that’s being entered into the system.”

Scott also has high praise for not only Canyon Falls Farms, but also the entire AgReserves family.

“There are challenges, but the challenges bring growth so there’s definitely a lot of opportunities for growth and training, and being able to put your stamp on things and be able to say I was a part of something.

"Then knowing that with the company as a whole, there are opportunities all throughout the world and not just here,” he continued. “I think there’s people that don’t understand how big we are. They could start in Idaho, and then if they want, go to Florida or even another country. There are opportunities for that.”

Trevor Nilsson grew up in Idaho, but, while he spent some time working on his grandparents’ farm, he doesn’t remember ever wanting to be a farmer.

Not wanting to be a farmer, however, didn’t prevent Trevor from finding his way back to working on a farm. Indeed, Trevor is now the Central Services Manager at Canyon Falls Farms (CFF), not far from his childhood home in Aberdeen.

Trevor enjoyed construction when he was younger and began to follow in his father’s footsteps as an electrician. He went to college, earning his bachelor’s degree in instrumentation technology, then began working as a journeyman electrician in mostly industrial settings.

Eventually, Trevor found his way to CFF, where he was hired as an electrical irrigation manager. Now, as the Central Services Manager, Trevor oversees the truck shop, housing, and pretty much everything that keeps the operation that isn’t planting or harvesting.

“I like it. The farm, there’s always something new, something more to learn,” Trevor said. “In any field, there’s always more to learn, but in farming you’re always expecting the unexpected. I enjoy it, because it’s always challenging. It challenges me to be better or to look to the future and see what we can do better.”

Trevor said he is most proud of a large project that came shortly after he joined the farm and was unlike anything else he’d previously done during his career as an electrician: eight new pivot installations, with new panels and transformers.

“We got through it all in time to get the water on and keep the farm running,” he said.

An important part of Trevor’s job is working to increase efficiency at the farm by improving technology, such as upgrading pivot panels and water meters so that they are all wireless.

“You can stop and start the pivots and everything off your phone and get all of your information, whether the pivot is on or if it’s faulted out,” he said. “Water meters, that’s touch-of-your-hand data, too, so you know exactly how much water you are using on a field. We’re always trying to upgrade technology as best we can.”

When asked what he would tell those considering applying for work at CFF, Trevor is quick to respond positively: “I would tell them it’s a great place to work and do your best to get on. I’ve enjoyed my time since I’ve been here.”

For those who have never been to Idaho, Trevor points out there is something for everyone.

“It’s a beautiful, beautiful place to live,” he said. “We have the winters where you can go snow machining, skiing, fishing. Summer you’ve got fishing, camping, a lot of different places to go hiking, whatever you like. And there’s cities if you like the city life. We have a variety of everything here.”

Trevor also highlighted the work ethic and camaraderie he sees on the farm, as well as the company culture.

“Everybody’s friendly and tries to work together,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent on the farm from the hourly employee that moves our lines to our general manager. Everybody has their job and keeps the farm running smoothly.

“If someone’s looking for a family-oriented job where you have the ability to be with your family, I can say it’s a great place to work. They have good benefits, and you have your vacation time they want you to use to spend time with your families.”

Canyon Falls Farms has something to offer everyone, whether they’ve ever been on a farm or not. Or even if they believe they’ve put their farming days behind them.

Maria Cordero never planned to live in Idaho, and she had no background in agriculture. Yet, these days you’ll find her in the American Falls office at Canyon Falls Farms (CFF), working as an Accounting Specialist.

Her road there was long and winding and shows that people from all backgrounds can find a career in agriculture.

At CFF, Maria receives invoices and gets them ready for accounts payable. She also receives seed, making sure it is paid for and entered in the farm’s system that tracks planting, growing, harvesting, and storage. Maria also helped train the scale operators and ticket writers and is their point of contact if anything is needed.

Maria says she strives to have everything in its place and to be up to speed with everyone, so she can offer support.

“Essentially, I make sure that everything is running, everything is moving toward where it has to move,” she said. “It’s a sense of satisfaction knowing that you were able to contribute, even in a little way.”

Maria was born and raised in Chicago. When she was 14, her father moved the family to Puerto Rico. There, Maria married, began raising a family, and worked in a call center while going to school for accounting. When it became challenging to get the classes she needed at night, she began taking education classes.

“I wasn’t really interested in being a teacher, but a friend suggested it. She told me, ‘You have children, so it can’t hurt. Whatever you learn will help you to help them.’”

By the time Maria graduated with a degree in accounting, she also had the necessary credits to become a teacher. She graduated in June, heard about an opening at a school down the street in August, and applied.

“I went, and they hired me on the spot,” she said. “I was a high school English teacher for four years.”

Her family then moved to Orlando, Florida, where Maria began working for a financial institution. After about a year, her teaching background led to an offer to be a corporate trainer as the company expanded to the Miami area. Maria said yes and did that for about 10 years.

“I merged my two loves,” Maria said. “I merged my teaching certificate with my accounting degree, putting the two together for that job.”

When Maria’s youngest son was graduating high school, he decided he wanted to be an airplane mechanic. After researching, the family decided the top-rated school was in Pocatello, Idaho. During a visit to the school, everyone fell in love with the mountains, fresh air, and peace of Idaho.

“My youngest son said, ‘Yep, this is the place for me. I’m going to put in my application.’ Then my two children who were already at the university in Miami, said, ‘You’re not leaving us behind,’ and then mom and dad said ‘Well, you’re not leaving us behind.’ And so, we all decided to move here as a family.”

They settled in American Falls, and Maria retired from work. Soon, when all her children were about to be finished with college, she decided to return to work.

“I looked online, and Canyon Falls had just posted the position for accounting specialist six days earlier,” Maria said. “I applied for it and here I am. I never even saw myself working in agriculture until I moved here.”

While working on a farm may have surprised Maria, previous agriculture experience isn’t necessary for every job at CFF, which has employees in payroll, accounting, human resources, parts, procurement, and other departments.

Maria said she would recommend CFF to others with no agriculture background.

“The work environment is great, we are very well compensated, everything is handled with the utmost integrity,” she said. “When the company says, ‘Our people are first and we invest in our people,’ it's no joke.”