Our Team

Full Time Staff

Phillip Laatsch
I grew up on a dairy farm in Northern Wisconsin (Shawano County) where my dad and Brothers still have dairy cows and cattle.  Between the farms they milk cows on 2 farms and have cattle on 3 more farms. I graduated with a degree in Agronomy from UW River Falls in 1999. I started working at the Randolph Fertilizer Plant after graduation in May 1999. I obtained my CCA in 2000.  I worked as an agronomist at the Randolph Fertilizer Plant from May 1999 to July 2007. In July 2007, Phillip's Crop Care, an independent Crop Consulting Company, was established. My wife Cheryl works for the DNR, and we have two daughters, Caroline and Maggie. I can’t say enough great things about all the associates that help us get our work done. We have had 9 summertime associates go to school for agronomy and are still working in the agronomy field.  We scout about 24,000 acres bi-weekly, and each week continue to teach and educate associates about agronomy. The most important job for each associate is go home safe at the end of the day. This is such an important statement. Each one of our associates know we feel about safety and being able to go home at the end of each workday safely. For the growers and farmers Phillip's Crop Care works for, we want to continue to build relationships and find solutions to help each farm become more productive.  We know that we are not only helping their farm, but we are also helping their family and we are helping them work towards their dreams.  Our goal for each year is to be confident that we helped each farm enough that they will invite us back to help their farm again the next year. 

Liz Darner
Liz grew up near Theresa, WI and graduated from Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. After college she lived in Minneapolis for 18 years and in 2003 received her Master of Agriculture in Horticulture degree from the University of Minnesota. In 2011 she moved back to the house she grew up in near Theresa. Liz started working for Phillip’s Crop Care in fall of 2015. Liz’s primary roles at Phillip’s Crop Care are nutrient management planning, scouting alfalfa and vegetables, soil sampling, and bookkeeping.

Anna Condon

Seasonal Staff

Justin Mangan

Hi, my name is Justin. I am 20 years old, and I scout the East region for Phillips Crop Care. I am a sophomore at UW La Crosse, and this is my 5th year working for the company. Some of my hobbies include soccer, skiing, ultimate Frisbee, listening to music, traveling, and hanging out with friends. My favorite parts about working for Phillip's Crop Care are the flexible hours, engaging workdays, and the family–like work environment. In the future I plan on working somewhere in the biology/genetics field. If you see me out and about this summer don’t be afraid to come say hi!

Braxton Davis

I am from Beaver Dam, WI. I am 20 years old. I scout the far/travel region, and this will be my 3rd year working at Phillip’s Crop Care. Some things I like to do in my free time are play basketball, hang with friends, play video games, and listen to music. I started working at Phillip's Crop Care because one of my friends told me it was a great job and I thought it would be interesting to learn more about. I personally love the people that I work with, and it creates a good work environment for the company. In the future I plan on going into work in Human Performance which I am currently studying at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. If you see me in the fields don’t hesitate to come up and talk to me.

Brock Stringfield

I’m 18 years old and I scout for the west region with Ben. I’ve been working at Phillips Crop Care for 2 years now. I wanted to work for the company because I have an interest in the plant science field. In my free time I work on my family’s farm, shoot trap and fish. I like working for Phillip for the opportunities he gives us and the work environment. I plan on continuing my education at UW Platteville for a plant science career.

Carter Schwartz

Hi, my name is Carter and I’m from Horicon, Wisconsin. I am 17 years old and scout for the east region. This will be my second year working at Phillip's crop care. I enjoy my job because of the supportive and professional atmosphere that has been created. We learn lots each week about scouting and the crops which makes the job more enjoyable. In my free time I love to play basketball, baseball, football, and run track in the spring as well as duck and deer hunt in the fall. I started working here after I was told about it by one of my high school teachers whom is also one of the growers we scout for. In the future I hope to play collegiate basketball and obtain a degree in finance. If you see me in the fields, come and say hi.

Ben DeMaster

Hello, my name is Ben DeMaster. I am 17 years old and from Beaver Dam, WI. This will be my 2nd year working at Phillip's Crop Care and I scout the West Region that includes Randolph. I chose Phillip’s Crop Care because I needed a summer job and heard that they were very understanding of highschoolers hobbies/sports. Some hobbies I have are hanging with friends and playing baseball. In the future I plan on going into trade or seed genetics. Phillip’s Crop Care is an amazing place to work and is recommended by my coworkers. If you see me this summer don’t hesitate to say hello.

Colt Kocinski

Hello, my name is Colt. I am 16 years old and this will be my second summer working at Phillips crop care. I am on the traveling crew. I go to Beaver Dam High School and am a Junior. I am going to school to become a pilot as well. I enjoy power-lifting. I live on a small farm with 2 horses and have a 3-acre alfalfa field. If you see me in the fields this summer don’t hesitate to come up and say hello.

Adam Meyer

My name is Adam, I’m 18 years old and I scout for the East region with Justin and Carter. I’ve been working at Phillips Crop Care for 2 years now. I wanted to work for the company because it sounded like a good opportunity to learn and make a few extra bucks. In my free time I like to play soccer, mountain bike and hang with friends. I like working for Phil because of the work environment he creates. I also appreciate the amount of trust he puts in him employees. I plan on continuing my education at a 4-year college. If you see me in the fields don’t hesitate to come up and talk to me.