Our Team of Experts
Ben Benson
President & CEO
Ben Benson is the President and Co-Founder of Big Cob Hybrids, the only independent, family-owned, regional seed business in the state of Nebraska. Ben has over 10 years of experience with genetic testing, research and modern corn production practices, and over 20,000 hours of agricultural consulting and field-by-field planning for Big Cob customers.
At Big Cob, Ben has developed multiple programs to benefit family-owned farming operations including MaxStand, EZ-Plant, and Farm-Fit Planning. Thanks to his innovative and creative mindset, Ben has grown Big Cob Hybrids into a well-regarded seed company focused on providing the highest quality corn and soybean seed available that has been specifically chosen for each field planted to maximize yields and reduce anxiety at planting time.
Ben was born and raised in Seward County and graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He and his wife, Amy, have three children and live outside of Garland, Nebraska.
Jason Ladman
Sales Director
Jason Ladman has 23+ years of experience working with farmers, ten of which he helped develop risk mitigation strategies for individual farm operations in Nebraska and Kansas to ensure that each farm was operating at peak effectiveness and efficiency. Jason now specializes in crop solutions that pair seed, chemical and fertility recommendations to maximize both input and yield potential based on the capacity of each individual acre. As the leader of the Big Cob Hybrids’ Farm-Fit Planning team, Jason has a unique perspective on risk tolerance and how that transpires into seed and input decisions for Big Cob customers.
Jason is a 1996 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He majored in Agri-Business with an emphasis in agronomy. He and his wife, Heather, have three children and live outside of Malcolm, Nebraska.
Dr. David Benson
Product Development Advisor & Research Director
Dr. David Benson graduated with a B.S. in Agronomy and Crop Production option from the University of Nebraska in 1988 and completed his PhD in Plant Breeding and Cytogenetics at Iowa State University under the instruction of the internationally renowned Dr. Arnel Hallauer. Dr. Benson has been granted a total of 51 patents for his breeding efforts during his time at Pioneer (50) and Mycogen (1). His mantra is “Success Starts with the Seed.”
Dr. Benson currently serves as the Product Development Advisor and Research Director at Big Cob Hybrids where he coordinates research testing and seed production activities with genetic suppliers. He also provides input on product performance outcomes and recommends the addition or deletion of commercial seed products.
Dr. Benson’s extensive corn product knowledge and product commercialization experience have helped develop Big Cob Hybrids into a truly competitive regional brand powerhouse. His persistence in retesting and selecting hybrids for testing, and his innate and creative ability to recognize superior hybrids has been a great addition to the evolution of the Big Cob Hybrids product line up.
Join Our Team
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