As a field trial modernization scientist at Corteva Agriscience, Dr. Kevin Falk is dedicated to improving the way field scientists work. The lead on Corteva Agriscience’s spray drone trials taking place at EMILI’s Innovation Farms, Falk holds an M.Sc from the University of Manitoba, a Ph.D in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Agronomy from Iowa State University, and an Advanced RPAS Pilot Certificate from Transport Canada. Here, Falk shares his path to becoming a field scientist, the importance of relationships in building his career, and some keen observations about the digital agriculture industry.
Describe your job or product in one sentence.
I build digital tools and workflows that help agricultural scientists work faster, smarter, and with better data, including AI models, drone systems, and automation platforms.
Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment?
I grew up in Carman, Manitoba, a town of about 3,000 people that punches way above its weight as an agricultural research hub. The University of Manitoba research station, plus legacy research farms from nearly every seed and chemical company were all right there. I didn’t grow up on a farm, but the farm was my happy place – I spent a lot of time with my grandpas and cousins on theirs.
What was your dream job when you were a kid?
Honestly, I loved science as a kid, but I didn’t know scientists existed in my hometown until I started working research jobs in high school. Before that, like many Canadian kids, I wanted to be a hockey player. Once I discovered that people got paid to do plant science and genetics in the same fields I grew up running around in, that dream changed fast.
What was your first job in the agriculture or agri-food sector?
A summer job in the seed industry in high school. Carman had so many research farms that it was easy to find work. Those jobs put me around university interns who explained the genetics and plant breeding science behind what we were doing. I was hooked from day one.
What brought you to your current role?
My path to Corteva was less about job postings and more about relationships. Through the Plant Science Symposium Series – first as a student at University of Manitoba, then organizing the Iowa State series – I met many scientists from Corteva, some of whom became my mentors. When an opportunity opened at Corteva in Manitoba, I was ready. My current modernization-focused role evolved from there as I kept pushing into technology, drone imaging, AI, and automation.
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