2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Witte has lived in Yuma County and worked in agriculture for most of his life. Since February 12, 1990 he has worked at 21st Century Equipment in Yuma, CO. Dave has three young adult family members; Brad of Otis, CO and works in agriculture, Nick of Texhoma, OK and works for Wiechman Pigs, and Breann of Yuma, CO. Dave has also welcomed two daughter-in-laws, 2 granddaughters, and 3 grandsons to the family.
Dave has been a member of the farm show committee from 2002 until 2019, a member of the IRF Board of Directors since 2007, and Chairman of the Board since 2012. Dave enjoys the opportunity to assist other board members in making decisions and looks forward to the path the IRF is taking for the future. He considers it a pleasure and a great learning experience to be on the board, and he would be honored to continue working with the directors and staff in the years ahead.

Nathan Armstrong married his beautiful bride Jamie in 2007. They are proud and active parents to 3 girls, Braylynn, Addison, and Piper.
In 1984, Nathan’s parents, Ron and Sue Armstrong, moved the family to Yuma where they operated and lived on a feedlot until they sold in 2011 and started farming. Nathan, his twin brother, and dad currently farm 2,500 acres of irrigated ground with a variety of crops. Along the way, they began custom harvesting, selling silage trailers, manure spreaders, Channel seed, and most recently became a dealer for Nachur’s fertilizer.
Nathan grew an interest and became involved at the IRF in 2012 when he came to see and learn at a Cooperator Field Day on the farm. Field tours, Farm Shows, and building connections at the Research Farm helped drive Nathan’s passion to embrace technology and be a progressive farmer. Last year, Nathan’s family business decided to become a Cooperator and include an ongoing research project at the IRF.
It is because of Nathan’s vested interest and passion for farming, equipment, advancing technology, market changes and a better tomorrow that he believes in the value and integrity of the IRF. He feels the testing and research done here is, and will become even more important and valuable to the future success of his and many other family businesses.
Nathan is grateful and excited for the opportunity to be on the IRF Board and believes he can and will be a contributing resource to the growth and changes that will maintain and increase the success of the IRF and future farmers.

Duane worked on his family farm in Brighton, CO from the time he was a small child until the farm ground was sold in 1992. As a young adult he was responsible for most of the operation of the farm. He also worked on a wheat farm in Saudi Arabia with 42 center pivots from October 1983 to August 1984. The farm was worked from the desert ground into a viable wheat farm during his time there. While there, he drove machinery, managed the hired hands, and assisted in all aspects of this endeavor. Duane has held various other jobs including at gravel pits in Northern Colorado as a loader operator, mechanic, and operating of the crushers, as well as a local truck driver and mechanic for many years. He worked at the elevator in Kanarado, KS for two years and then in the year 2000 he moved to Yuma, CO where he started and continues to work at Agri-Inject and Golden Plains Bean Equipment.
Duane has two wonderful children, Tyler and his wife Tracy, McKenna and her husband Jeremy, and four beautiful grandchildren.
Duane has served as a valuable member of the IRF Board of Directors since 2011.

Davin Doyle was born and raised in Red Willow County, Nebraska. In 2008, he graduated from Cambridge High School. During his summers, he helped raise winter wheat and milo on his family’s dryland farm 10 miles south of Culbertson, Nebraska. He also worked on various farms around the area.
After high school, he attended Chadron State College where he majored in Business Management with an option in Agribusiness and a minor in plant science. Upon graduation in 2012, he was hired with ServiTech in Yuma as an agronomist. Since then, he has enjoyed establishing relationships with area farmers and aiding in making their operations as productive as possible. In 2022, he joined Armstrong’s operations providing agronomic expertise to their seed and agronomy services.
In his spare time, Davin enjoys spending time with his wife, Shoni, and two children, Merrick and Ian. He also is an assistant coach for the Yuma High School football team and Yuma Youth Wrestling Team.
Davin looks forward to the opportunity to work with the Irrigation Research Foundation to provide meaningful insights and new farming practices to producers in the area.

Byron Weathers is married to his wife LaLani and they have three married sons, Jeremy (Kara), Benjamin (Angie), and Nathan (Nikki). Byron and LaLani have also been blessed with ten incredible grandchildren. Byron started farming in Yuma County in 1974. He and his son Nathan currently farm over 2,000 acres. They have been Conklin dealers in Yuma, Phillips and Kit Carson Counties since 2005.
Byron has been involved with the IRF since 2000 and has been a valued member of the Board of Directors since 2004. He believes the work done at the Irrigation Research Foundation has proven to be very beneficial to irrigated producers from around the country as well as companies that perform certain agricultural based studies. He is very proud to be part of the vision.

Conner Blach was born and raised in Yuma, Colorado. His family homesteaded and began farming north of Yuma in 1887, making him a 5th generation farmer. Conner was involved with agriculture very early in his life, helping on his family’s farm and participating in 4-H and FFA. He graduated from Yuma High School in 2014 and went on to get a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Ag Business from Colorado State University. While at Colorado State University, Conner met his wife, Jenna. They got married in 2020 and have two daughters, Leighton and Landrie. After graduating in 2018, Conner returned to Yuma to the Blach family farm and ranching operation. In his time away from farming and ranching, Conner enjoys spending time with his family and friends and golfing.
Conner appreciates the opportunity to be a part of the IRF. His dedication and interest in new agricultural research, technology, and the future of the Ogallala aquifer will drive him to assist the IRF in being the best it can be in the years to come.

Charles Knust was raised in Plattsmouth, Nebraska where he graduated in 2018. Following high school, he attended The University of Nebraska Lincoln where he received a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy with a minor in Ag Business. Throughout high school and college, Charles was a co-owner in a soil sampling business, and during the summers Charles had internships with Central Valley Ag as a crop scout, Corteva as a research intern, and Todd Farms as a Dekalb and Asgrow salesman and farm hand. He married his wife Danae in 2021. In the fall of 2023, Charles and Danae moved to Yuma, where he started with CHS Inc. Charles is an Agronomy Sales Representative in the Yuma Office.
Charles became interested in being involved at the IRF in the summer of 2023 while walking plots for different chemical and seed companies that he works with. His background in agronomy and research leads him to have the desire to contribute to the Irrigation Research Foundation to continue effective research for the future of farming. Charles is grateful to be part of the IRF Board.

From left to right; Perry Blach, Jennie Brown, Rollie Deering, Jack Adams & Nina Stulp

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40161 Highway 59
Yuma, CO 80759
970-848-3043
email us at info@irf-info.com

A Research and Demonstration Farm in Northeast Colorado