Welcome Teresa Crook, field crops agronomist educator with MSU Extension

Teresa Cook will serve as a field crops agronomy educator serving the Saginaw Valley and Thumb region.

Teresa Crook.

As of December 2023, Teresa Crook is one of the newest members of the Michigan State University Extension team. She will serve as a field crops agronomy educator serving the Saginaw Valley and Thumb region. Her past work experience has provided opportunities to collaborate directly with producers, and she looks forward to becoming reacquainted with producers by attending meetings and interacting with growers. Crook’s office is located at the Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Originally from southern Illinois, Crook attended the University of Illinois: Champaign-Urbana for her bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics with additional classes in agronomy. Her formal education was completed by her master’s degree from Michigan State University in weed science under the direction of Karen Renner. As a result of her research, her love of plants became firmly cemented.

After graduation, Crook was an MSU Extension agricultural agent before moving to the Thumb to become an agronomist for Michigan Sugar Company where she conducted research trials and supervised the research and grower laboratory. She also served as the agronomist for a potato producer before becoming a loan officer and credit analyst for GreenStone Farm Credit Services.

Crook and her husband started a small dairy operation, which continues today, located in the Frankenmuth area. Their three grown children all graduated from Michigan State University.

“I understand crop growth and physiology, soils and nutrient management,” said Crook. “My goal as a field crops agronomist educator is to ensure MSU Extension remains relevant for those utilizing us. I look forward to helping producers with agronomic concerns or questions. I recognize farmers have many options to acquire information, and MSU Extension is a provider of unbiased scientific data. While I cannot promise to accommodate every request, I can do my best to help supply balanced information.”

If you have any questions concerning field crops or nutrient management or have ideas for how MSU Extension can better serve you, please feel free to contact Crook at 989-652-3552. Crook said, “I’m looking forward to this next career chapter and helping to serve producers in my new role.”

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