Meet the AAS Team

We believe precision agronomic data management requires a team approach. No single individual can deliver everything we can with as much precision, efficiency or creativity. This ultimately results in impact that is both profitable and fun for clients, suppliers and employees.

• Daryl Starr - President
• Erika McCloud - Director of Marketing
• Sarah Zahn - GIS Technician
• Tim Hamond - Junior Agronomist
• Crop Scouts

Daryl Starr, President, CCA

Daryl Starr is President of Advanced Ag Solutions. He provides leadership to the team as well as service development and on-going client consulting.

Since 2005, Daryl has synthesized the collaboration of 5 full time employees, ~12 summer interns annually, 121 clients and numerous suppliers. He has developed industry leading services in Integrated Crop Management and on-farm spatial data decision making tools and services. Additionally, he has pursued and successfully obtained major agreements with industry leaders for the benefit of the Qualified Grower Network. Through this he has maintained sole ownership of Advanced Ag Solutions while growing from a core 4,000 acres of initial clients to over 200,000 acres of influence and many more on the horizon.

Daryl attended Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN where he was double majoring in English Literature and Krannert’s Business Management. He rented his first farm while still at school and graduated the next summer with a degree in English.

Daryl was raised in Connersville, IN on a corn/soybean farm where he learned the value of hard work and effective execution of a well thought out plan. He weathered 4 years after college learning the seasonal chores of crop farming more intimately before committing full time to Advanced Ag Solutions.

Daryl is happily married to his wife of 10 years, Allison, with whom he has a two daughters, Anna and Alexa. He is an active member of Kossuth Street Baptist Church in Lafayette, IN and a recent board addition to The CrossWalk Project, Inc, where a growing team is passionately developing living and ministry space for international students on college campuses.

Email: Daryl@AdvancedAgSolutions.com

Erika McCloud, Director of Marketing

As Director of Marketing for Advanced Ag Solutions, Erika feels that it is her duty to clearly represent the brand that is Advanced Ag Solutions. Her main goal is to accurately portray Daryl's original vision of being a third party independent source for farmers.

Erika has been with AAS since the beginning, designing the logo and website as her first tasks. Since then, her position has greatly expanded including marketing and sales management, as well as strategic planning.

Erika received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Advertising from Purdue University and went on to receive an Associate of Science in Computer Graphics Technology from Purdue as well. She has had experience with newspaper advertising, an ad agency, printing company, full service marketing firm, as well as loyalty marketing for an airline.

She grew up in Connersville, Indiana. She is the daughter of a Marketing and Sales Director and an Engineer, both who are very artistic and active in the community. Through their support, she has learned a strong sense of loyalty and family.

Erika, her husband Gary, and daughter Ella currently live in Brownsburg Indiana. In her spare time, if there is any, she enjoys baking, photography, sewing, decorating and anything artistic. She also enjoys fishing and walks with her husband.

Email: Erika@AdvancedAgSolutions.com

Sarah Zahn, GIS Technician

Sarah graduated from Purdue University in 2010 and is excited with her new role as GIS Technician with Advanced Ag Solutions.

Sarah graduated with a BS in Agricultural Economics and minors in Communications and Art & Design. Her agronomic background is in crop scouting and research. She grew up on a small family farm in Kokomo, IN. Her father has raised cattle and hogs in addition to grain farming.

At a very young age, Sarah could be found out with her father and the baby pigs, but it was not until her junior year in high school when she joined FFA that she realized agronomy/agriculture should become part of her future career. Being active in FFA and 4-H both were both major influencers for Sarah’s career choice.

Sarah currently lives in Lafayette, IN with her dog and is busy with wedding planning, as she plans on marrying her fiancé, Joseph, next fall. She enjoys running home to help on the family farm, sewing, fish frying with her church, being outside, horseback riding, fishing, and being with family in her spare time.

Email: Sarah@AdvancedAgSolutions.com

Tim Hamond, Junior Agronomist

Tim Graduated from Purdue University in 2012 with a BS in Farm Management. His agronomic background is in crop scouting. Tim grew up in the town of West Harrison, IN. He grew up spending most of his summer vacations at his grandparent’s cow/calf operation in Okeana, OH.

Tim was a four year FFA and 10 year 4-H member. Through his experiences in the FFA and 4-H he decided that a career in agriculture would be ideal. His interest in agronomy was realized once he came to Purdue and took several agronomy classes. These classes helped him to realize there was great career potential in agronomy.

Currently, Tim lives in West Lafayette, IN. In his spare time he enjoys hunting, fishing, sports, and helping out on the family farm.

Email: Tim@AdvancedAgSolutions.com