Equipo

AJ is the automation specialist for the West Coast, handling all of the design, implementation and service of automation and flow-meter monitoring projects.

He is a graduate of Cal State University Monterey Bay, with a Master’s Of Science in Coastal Watershed Science and Policy, with a concentration in marine ecology.

Prior to joining Hortau, AJ worked on a number of highly technical research projects involving in situ measurements and collaboration.

• (805) 550-7581

Ben is Hortau’s Director of Grower Support & Irrigation Advising.

Ben grew up on a small dairy farm in northern Utah, where he spent most of his summers in the alfalfa and corn fields shoveling dirt, desperately trying to get the water to flood the fields evenly. He knew that there had to be a better way.

Ben went to Utah State University and received a B.S. degree in Crop Science with a minor in Soil Science. He has spent time working for irrigation equipment manufacturers and in production agriculture; installing irrigation systems, maintaining existing systems, and scheduling irrigations over large acreages.

• (559) 554-4607

Grower Support specialist Brian Hanson was born and raised in Bakersfield and currently resides in Shafter.

He followed a passion for ag to Bakersfield College, and then CSU Chico, where he studied Animal Science. Throughout college he worked with a PCA, and completed an internship focused on hay and cattle production.

After college, he worked four years on a U.S.F.S. Hotshot crew fighting wildfires. He began working as a Field Technician for Hortau installing and maintaining equipment in the field throughout Kern County.

As a Grower Support specialist, Brian is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the Hortau platform are supported and always available to resolve any needs.

• (661) 703-8300

Brian Henriott is Hortau’s Irrigation Advisor for Mid to Northern Central Valley.

He is a native Californian originally from the Bay Area. He has had a passion for plants from the start, working for a local nursery as a teenager and then continuing with that passion into college and his professional life.

Brian attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, majoring in horticultural production as an undergrad and then in plant protection as a grad student. At Cal Poly, Brian developed a love of entomology, eventually transitioning that interest into a two-year lecturer position at Cal Poly.

After college, Brian worked for four years on the Central Coast as a harvest manager in the vegetable industry.

• 805-215-2135

Cord has lived on the Central Coast for the past 10 years.
He was born in New Mexico, where he worked during the summer on the family ranch in Northern New Mexico. He attended AIU for Business Administration and Hartnell College in Salinas for agriculture.
He is passionate about his community and the future of sustainable ag.

• (831) 331-7370

Danny Giacomini was born and raised in Los Altos, California.

After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Business Marketing, he made the easy decision to stay in San Luis Obispo and bring his IOT, inside sales, and marketing experience to Hortau.

Currently, Danny works as a sales development representative, working with new farming operations to see if they are a fit for Hortau’s precision irrigation management system.

• (805) 545-5994, ext. 332

An early employee of Hortau, Derek Gagne is the West Region Service Manager, based out of the company’s U.S. headquarters in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

He currently manages Hortau’s dedicated team of U.S. technicians, and has traveled as far as Morocco to install systems and train both regional irrigation specialists and growers on how to use Hortau’s platform.

Service is Derek’s number one priority. If growers have an issue with the Hortau irrigation management platform, he recommends they contact him via the information below and he’d be happy to help troubleshoot their issues, or have a technician or grower support specialist visit their ranch to resolve the problem.

• (805) 545-5994

A certified PCA, Derek graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences, Plant Protection.

He worked previously as a Ranch Evaluation Specialist with Deerpoint Group, evaluating sites, making tissue and soil analysis reports and fertilizer recommendations.

Derek also worked as a spray technician for Pacific Ag Research, and as a researcher scouting crops for disease and pest pressure with Dupont Crop Protection.

• 661-332-2590

Gabriel was born and raised in Fresno County where he grew up around agriculture. Growing up he participated in FFA activities and also worked summer jobs in agriculture.

Gabriel studied Plant Science at the California State University of Fresno and has hands-on labor and management experience growing organic berries for a grower on the Central Coast. He currently provides irrigation management advising in California’s Central Valley.

• (805) 868-3165

Jaxson Toschi is a sales development representative for Hortau, based out of its U.S. headquarters in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Starting with the company in 2018, he works with new farming operations to see if they are a fit for Hortau’s precision irrigation management and scheduling services.

Originally from Grass Valley, Calif. with family roots in agriculture, Jaxson previously worked in the cleantech sector with Solar City out of its Central Coast branch.

A graduate of Cal Poly, Jaxson studied soil science and earned a degree in Environmental Management, with a concentration in Environmental Impact Mitigation Strategies.

• (805) 545-5994, ext. 334

John Bison was born and raised in Kern county and grew up with a passion for agriculture. He was very active in 4H and FFA, as well as many Ag leadership programs throughout high school.

After high school, John attended Cal Poly SLO and majored in animal science and also studied viticulture and Agbusiness.

John comes to Hortau with over 15 years of agricultural sales experience, and he contributes his success to building strong relationships and a pride in knowing he’s helping his customers become more sustainable and profitable.

• (661) 303-4081

A certified PCA and CCA, Jonathan graduated from Cal Poly in 2011 with a degree in Agricultural Business.

He worked previously as Agronomic Support Specialist with Gar Tootelian, Inc., helping create custom nutrient programs for several growers.

Jonathan also worked as a field issues specialist and field scout, and helped the company remain current on precision ag technologies.

• 559-970-2289

As a Colorado State University Alum and licensed PCA, Doug Larson came to Hortau with over 30 years of hands-on experience in the industry of agriculture.

Through his years as a 4th generation Colorado Farmer, Agricultural Educator, Irrigation Sales and Service Technician and President/CEO of an irrigation distribution company covering the Western United States and Mexico, Doug has developed a unique set of skills and experiences specializing in the use of advanced irrigation systems, including the use of soil tension technology in the efficient and sustainable application of ag water.

Doug’s hands on style and ability to develop personal relationships, along with his love for the industry and strong desire to contribute to its growth and sustainability are key to the success of his clients, as well as to that of he and his family.

• (970) 481-0655

Francis has an environmental ag degree from Laval University. He also has a degree in ag mechanical engineering from the Institut de la technologie agroalimentaire (ITA).

During his studies, Francis received several distinctions and awards of excellence for his work. Throughout college, Francis interned at Hortau in 2013-14, and re-joined the team in 2016 as a sales representative and technical support specialist.

• (418) 836-7927 ex. 231

Ryan was born on a mint farm in the lower Yakima Valley of Washington, working on the family farm all the way through high school.

He worked in construction and law enforcement before going on to be the water resource manager for Roza Irrigation District for 14 years.

After a major injury and a number of surgeries, Ryan was inspired to go back to college and earned a degree in agriculture business and was later employed as a licensed pest consultant.

Ryan enjoyed his relationships with his farmers as a consultant and enjoyed everyday at work. Soils and irrigation was Ryan’s favorite topic, which is why he accepted an offer to work with Hortau and help growers in Oregon and Washington improve their irrigation management programs.

• (509) 781-1006

AJ is the automation specialist for the West Coast, handling all of the design, implementation and service of automation and flow-meter monitoring projects.

He is a graduate of Cal State University Monterey Bay, with a Master’s Of Science in Coastal Watershed Science and Policy, with a concentration in marine ecology.

Prior to joining Hortau, AJ worked on a number of highly technical research projects involving in situ measurements and collaboration.

• (805) 550-7581

Ben is Hortau’s Director of Grower Support & Irrigation Advising.

Ben grew up on a small dairy farm in northern Utah, where he spent most of his summers in the alfalfa and corn fields shoveling dirt, desperately trying to get the water to flood the fields evenly. He knew that there had to be a better way.

Ben went to Utah State University and received a B.S. degree in Crop Science with a minor in Soil Science. He has spent time working for irrigation equipment manufacturers and in production agriculture; installing irrigation systems, maintaining existing systems, and scheduling irrigations over large acreages.

• (559) 554-4607

Grower Support specialist Brian Hanson was born and raised in Bakersfield and currently resides in Shafter.

He followed a passion for ag to Bakersfield College, and then CSU Chico, where he studied Animal Science. Throughout college he worked with a PCA, and completed an internship focused on hay and cattle production.

After college, he worked four years on a U.S.F.S. Hotshot crew fighting wildfires. He began working as a Field Technician for Hortau installing and maintaining equipment in the field throughout Kern County.

As a Grower Support specialist, Brian is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the Hortau platform are supported and always available to resolve any needs.

• (661) 703-8300

Brian Henriott is Hortau’s Irrigation Advisor for Mid to Northern Central Valley.

He is a native Californian originally from the Bay Area. He has had a passion for plants from the start, working for a local nursery as a teenager and then continuing with that passion into college and his professional life.

Brian attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, majoring in horticultural production as an undergrad and then in plant protection as a grad student. At Cal Poly, Brian developed a love of entomology, eventually transitioning that interest into a two-year lecturer position at Cal Poly.

After college, Brian worked for four years on the Central Coast as a harvest manager in the vegetable industry.

• 805-215-2135

Bruno has been the CFO at Hortau since April 2006, guiding Hortau through multiple rounds of financing and company growth of about 50% in each of the past five years.

Bruno is a graduate of the University of Laval, with a Bachelor in Business Administration Degree in Accounting and Finance. Previously, he was Director of Finance for Rololight Corporation and Labcal Technologies

Caroline has a degree in Agricultural Economics and an MBA from Laval University.

She counts numerous experiences in agriculture such as nursery, dairy farming and processing, in-vitro culture, farm management training and trade missions. She speaks French, English and Spanish.

Caroline has been part of the Hortau team since 2009. She is currently in charge of direct sales and developing new markets in Canada, Midwest and Northeastern U.S. She has worked extensively with cranberry growers from coast to coast in both Canada and the U.S., helping them improve production and the profitability of their operations.

• 418-836-7927 x229

Christian brings more than two decades of high-tech management experience to Hortau. A graduate from the University of Laval, his career started in Quebec City where he founded Anillusion with a former colleague from Exfo. The company developed a technology to enable 3D visualization on PCs. This ultimately led him to complete his MBA at Queen’s University in Ontario before landing in Silicon Valley, where he has lived since 2000.

In California, he has been involved with large corporations such as Altera and Broadcom in addition to smaller startups, where he worked on semiconductor projects in various markets such as wireless infrastructure, industrial automation and digital living rooms.

Hortau’s sales representative and technical support specialist for the Midwest and Northeast, Cody has a degree in environmental Science from St. Norbert College in De Pere.

A Wisconsin native, Cody has worked in cranberry marshes and traditional row crops for both private farming operations and precision irrigation companies based in Wisconsin.

Cody understands the unique challenges Northern growers face throughout the seasons, and is committed to helping growers improve their farming practices.

• (920) 246-9130

Cord has lived on the Central Coast for the past 10 years.
He was born in New Mexico, where he worked during the summer on the family ranch in Northern New Mexico. He attended AIU for Business Administration and Hartnell College in Salinas for agriculture.
He is passionate about his community and the future of sustainable ag.

• (831) 331-7370

Danny Giacomini was born and raised in Los Altos, California.

After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Business Marketing, he made the easy decision to stay in San Luis Obispo and bring his IOT, inside sales, and marketing experience to Hortau.

Currently, Danny works as a sales development representative, working with new farming operations to see if they are a fit for Hortau’s precision irrigation management system.

• (805) 545-5994, ext. 332

An early employee of Hortau, Derek Gagne is the West Region Service Manager, based out of the company’s U.S. headquarters in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

He currently manages Hortau’s dedicated team of U.S. technicians, and has traveled as far as Morocco to install systems and train both regional irrigation specialists and growers on how to use Hortau’s platform.

Service is Derek’s number one priority. If growers have an issue with the Hortau irrigation management platform, he recommends they contact him via the information below and he’d be happy to help troubleshoot their issues, or have a technician or grower support specialist visit their ranch to resolve the problem.

• (805) 545-5994

A certified PCA, Derek graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences, Plant Protection.

He worked previously as a Ranch Evaluation Specialist with Deerpoint Group, evaluating sites, making tissue and soil analysis reports and fertilizer recommendations.

Derek also worked as a spray technician for Pacific Ag Research, and as a researcher scouting crops for disease and pest pressure with Dupont Crop Protection.

• 661-332-2590