Dr. Austin Omer is a science lead and sustainability agronomist on the team in Bayer Crop Science’s Ecosystem Services Microenterprise which aims to enable every farmer to profit from restoring agricultural ecosystems. At Bayer, Austin leads efforts to simplify the grower and customer experience, as well as improve microenterprise profitability through the evaluation, acquisition, and optimization of capabilities. He also leads communications for regions in the Midwest around ecosystem service markets and adaptively develops programming to meet the needs of inset and offset markets. Before Bayer, Austin was the Associate Director of Natural Resource Policy for the Illinois Farm Bureau. Austin acted as a liaison with academic, state, and federal natural resource stakeholders; advocated on regulatory issues; and assisted with developing and coordinating natural resource programs and communications. Before joining the Illinois Farm Bureau, Austin worked as a Hydrologist for Weyerhaeuser Company managing research projects and providing technical support to foresters. Before working in the forest industry, he worked as a research and extension associate for Mississippi State University Extension Service investigating conservation practices and providing outreach to farmers.
