Barenbrug hires forage leader

Barenbrug USA has hired Bret Winsett as forage product manager.

“Bret brings with him a great wealth of skills, specifically focused on developing and producing the best forages possible. We look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in this new position as a valued member of our team,” said Andrew Crawford, director of marketing and brand development at Barenbrug.

The company, which has been producing turf grasses for more than 115 years, said Winsett will provide technical and sales support for its network of professional forage distributors.

Additionally, he will be working closely with the firm’s research and development team to continue Barenbrug’s goal of bringing new and innovative products to the North American forage market.

Winsett brings over 38 years of experience, the last three of which have been at Barenbrug as a forage sales territory manager where he helped grow the company’s market share in Canada and the Midwest along with the Northeast.

More recently, he has consecutively worked for Byron Seeds and Hood River seeds. As national sales manager for Hood River Seeds, said the company, Winsett sought to provide the best support to their customers through education, presentations, and one-on-one conversations.

He is the current president of the American Forage & Grassland Council as well as a member of the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council board of directors.

Winsett completed both his Bachelor of Science in Crop and Soil Science and his Master of Science in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Purdue University.

“We are very excited to have Bret in this new position. He is a very well-respected figure in the forage and grass industry and has done phenomenal work for us in his most recent position,” said Crawford.