Office Location

Directions to Agren

The Agren Team

Tom Buman, President

Tom founded Agren Inc. in 1996 with a love for both agriculture and the environment and the ability to see a more cooperative union between the two.  The kid on the tractor from southwest Iowa graduated with a B.S. in Agronomy and MBA from Iowa State University.  Fourteen years with the Natural Resources Conservation Service helped him recognize the need for creative solutions to critical problems.  At Agren, Tom fosters an atmosphere of resourcefulness and can-do attitude that inspires the Agren staff to dream big and produce innovative results for all clients.

Stan Buman

Stan provides day-to-day directional and administrative support for all projects at Agren. In addition, he supervises contractual services and financial affairs for the business and provides background and leadership in the areas of nutrient management and conservation planning. Stan has developed strong relationships in both the government and private sectors, having spent ten years with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Iowa. For over 21 years, Stan worked in areas of conservation planning and management, crop scouting, consulting and research. Stan received a B.S. in Agronomy from Iowa State University. Stan is also a professional wildlife photographer.

Jamie Ridgely

Jamie joined the Agren staff full time in 2000 after completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University and an impressive summer internship with Agren the previous year. Her keen attention to detail and her logical approach to problem solving have equipped her to become the lead project manager for Agren. As a skilled technical writer, Jamie develops many of Agren's grant and project proposals. She also enjoys being able to incorporate her interests in agriculture and rural development into the wide variety of projects at Agren. In 2007, Jamie was invited to become part owner of Agren, proving again her remarkable value to the company as well as to our clients. Jamie executes each and every one of our projects with laser focus on creativity, quality, and timeliness. She and her husband, Cory, live with their three young daughters on the Ridgely family's Century Farm near Rockwell City, where they raise corn, soybeans and Belgian draft horses.

Bob Buman (Ph.D.)

Bob received his Ph.D. in Agronomy from Washington State University specializing in weed science. He spent one year with the USDA-ARS Northern Grains Insect Research Lab researching Corn Rootworms and five years in Wisconsin running pesticide GLP and efficacy studies. The efficacy studies that Bob worked on in Wisconsin and at present in Iowa include numbered and labeled insecticide, fungicide and herbicide compounds from numerous companies. Bob has developed sampling procedures, analyzed data and written reports for a large no-till corn/soybean project in the mid-west. At present, Bob is working on development of software and use-case diagrams for grazing and conservation planning programs.

Bill Buman

Bill's activities at Agren include wetland monitoring and reporting, and efficacy research assistance. He also custom builds and modifies research field equipment. He brings an abundance of practical knowledge to Agren, having farmed since 1976. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University. He currently raises corn, soybeans, alfalfa as well as native prairie grass and forb seed. He is also experimenting with fruit crops.

Deana Hoeg

Deana earned her Bachelor's Degree from Buena Vista University graduating with a Business Management/Entrepreneurship Degree. Her responsibilities at Agren consist of all aspects of financial management including payroll, budgeting projections, state and federal reporting and auditing. She is also responsible for the GSA Federal Supply Schedule, which includes marketing Agren services to federal agencies. Deana has developed a strong understanding of government policy having spent 10 years working for the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Mary Bower

Mary brings a strong background in writing and agriculture to the Agren team. She was raised on a farm in northern Iowa and now farms with her husband in Guthrie County. Her belief in the importance of being a good steward of the land fits well with Agren's mission to positively impact our natural resources. As a former newspaper reporter and editor, she is called upon to write and edit many of the documents associated with Agren projects. She has a talent for translating technical information into a format that's easy-to-read and understand. Mary earned her bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and English from Wartburg College in Waverly, IA.

R. Austin Sewell

Austin received his B.S. degree in Rangeland Ecology & Management from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. His work at Agren centers on projects dealing with natural resources ecology and management issues, especially those which focus on rangeland and agro-forage ecosystems. His previous fulltime work experiences include work on cattle ranches in Texas, and vegetation inventory crews in Wyoming. Austin was raised on his family's ranch near Decatur, TX, and currently resides in Carroll County, IA, with his wife, Valleri and son, Robert Nolan.

Rob Ravenscroft

Rob is a life-long cattleman with more than 25 years ranching in the Nebraska Sandhills. Living in Lincoln since 2002, he continues his efforts to bring the ranching and conservation communities closer together. He has served on the Nebraska Cattlemen board and is currently a member of the boards of the Sandhills Task Force, The Nature Conservancy (Nebraska Chapter), the Nebraska Partnership for All Bird Conservation, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust. In May 2005, Rob began working with Agren to help develop, test and promote The Grazing Manager. In that capacity he has worked with ranchers and tribes across the West to use the software. Rob and his wife, Jan, enjoy spending time with their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in the Omaha area. Occasional visits to their daughter in California and trips back to the Sandhills are always treasured.