Monty’s Plant Food Company Announces the Expansion of Their Research and Development Team and Laboratory

Louisville, KY— Today Monty’s Plant Food Company deepened their capacity as a trusted advisor and innovator of product solutions to farmers through the expansion of their research and development department. They announced the arrival of two key R & D department employees, Dr. Fritzie Chen and Dr. Cassidy Million, as well as an ongoing expansion that will double the footprint of Monty’s laboratory facility for in-house plant testing and experimentation.

“We are now in our third year of double-digit growth at Monty’s,” said Jeff Sangalli, Monty’s CEO. “Because of our ‘farmer first’ mentality, we constantly seek new ways to partner with growers on improving the quality of their soil, crops and yield. With the experience that Dr. Chen and Dr. Million bring to our table, we can allocate more time and resources in creating technological solutions and deciphering exactly how and why those technologies function as they do. Dr. Million’s expertise as a plant pathologist and Dr. Chen’s depth of knowledge in soil science will propel us into deeper understanding of our proprietary assets and spur future advancements.”

Dr. Chen is R & D Scientist and Lab Manager at Monty’s. She hails originally from the Philippines and received her PhD in soil chemistry from Iowa State University, where she also managed a research laboratory. In addition to managing Monty’s lab and guiding its expansion, Dr. Chen works closely with Monty’s Dr. Alexander Shulgin, one of the world’s leading experts in the science of humics. According to Sangalli, “We interviewed many candidates with diverse backgrounds before meeting Dr. Chen. We are confident in her ability to carry forth Monty’s expertise in humics science and ownership of that space in developing groundbreaking, proprietary humics technology.”

Dr. Million is Senior Agriculture Research Scientist at Monty’s. She holds a PhD in plant pathology from Ohio State University and most recently performed post-doctorate work with the USDA where she researched non-host resistance in wheat and barley. She has also performed research in the Integrated Plant Protection Unit of (SLU’s) Swedish University, of the Agricultural Sciences’ Plant Protection Biology department. At Monty’s, Dr. Million will conduct field trials and grow third-party partnerships like the one with University of Florida. “In academia, there is a very narrow research goal,” said Dr. Million. “I am excited to work in-house at Monty’s because I get to work with such a diverse portfolio of applications.”

The new additions to Monty’s R&D team also further the company’s current developments in international territories such as Central America, South America, and Nigeria. “In 2018 we started investing internationally, which spreads the production cycle throughout the entire year,” said Sangalli. “Both Dr. Chen and Dr. Million will be involved closely with our current and future efforts abroad.”

About Monty’s Plant Food Company Monty’s Plant Food Company is a trusted developer and provider of environmentally responsible soil enhancement and plant nutrition products, globally. Monty’s believes that healthy soil leads to healthy plants, higher yields and increased nutritional content. Founded in 1997, Monty’s offers a portfolio of OMRI Listed soil conditioning products; liquid macronutrients and micronutrients for seed and foliar feeding; and other specialty products for agriculture, lawn and garden, and hemp. Monty’s is a trusted advisor, offering proven solutions to its customers.