New Managers on the Job at Federated
Aug 27, 2025
The “new guy” sitting at the manager’s desk at Federated’s Osceola location isn’t new to the game – he’s been with the co-op about 25 years. Ryan Peterson (at left in photo) moved into the role of location manager this past July 1 when his long-time mentor, Tim Stelter, retired.
Peterson joined Federated as a custom applicator just as the 2000s began, and he stayed in that role, applying fertilizer and ag chemicals to more fields than he can count, until 2010 when he became the co-op’s custom application manager.
For the past 15 years, Peterson’s focus has been getting product to the right field at the right time with the right product throughout Federated’s service areas. And while his job was to ensure that the products got applied properly, he was always working in tandem with other Federated agronomy team members to ensure product was available and in stock when needed.
Today, his new managerial role widens his oversight as he takes his “brain off the custom application side,” and looks at the bigger picture of all that the Osceola agronomy location offers to customers. “I’m still talking to many customers every day, but not just about custom application,” he said. This job is more about the day-to-day business, customer assistance on site, and inventory management.
Following in Peterson’s footsteps is Craig Lysne (at right in photo) who has been a custom applicator with Federated, hired by Peterson, since 2019. Since stepping into the role of custom application manager on July 1, Lysne has been learning everything about the job, including what Peterson referred to as the things that were “second nature” to him when he had the job.
Lysne said the biggest challenge with custom application is time management – and rain. Both managers remarked on how you could spend half a day, calling dozens of customers, trying to determine where – or if – applicators can get into fields after heavy rain. The job is a lot more than “just sitting at a desk and watching everyone work,” said Lysne.
The transition to management came at the tail end of this year’s busy season, so these new managers got a sense of how their jobs will play out in the busiest times ahead. Lysne is focused on serving customers well from his management position: “I’m looking forward to working with the farmers to provide a service that I took a lot of pride in when I was on the sprayer,” he said.
Even with the changes, “it’s still the same company and same faces,” Peterson said, adding, “I’m here to get the job done, to get the right flow.”
The two managers are available to answer your questions: Lysne for custom application, and Peterson for location-specific needs in Osceola. And as always, your Federated Agronomists are ready to assist, too.
Peterson joined Federated as a custom applicator just as the 2000s began, and he stayed in that role, applying fertilizer and ag chemicals to more fields than he can count, until 2010 when he became the co-op’s custom application manager.
For the past 15 years, Peterson’s focus has been getting product to the right field at the right time with the right product throughout Federated’s service areas. And while his job was to ensure that the products got applied properly, he was always working in tandem with other Federated agronomy team members to ensure product was available and in stock when needed.
Today, his new managerial role widens his oversight as he takes his “brain off the custom application side,” and looks at the bigger picture of all that the Osceola agronomy location offers to customers. “I’m still talking to many customers every day, but not just about custom application,” he said. This job is more about the day-to-day business, customer assistance on site, and inventory management.
Following in Peterson’s footsteps is Craig Lysne (at right in photo) who has been a custom applicator with Federated, hired by Peterson, since 2019. Since stepping into the role of custom application manager on July 1, Lysne has been learning everything about the job, including what Peterson referred to as the things that were “second nature” to him when he had the job.
Lysne said the biggest challenge with custom application is time management – and rain. Both managers remarked on how you could spend half a day, calling dozens of customers, trying to determine where – or if – applicators can get into fields after heavy rain. The job is a lot more than “just sitting at a desk and watching everyone work,” said Lysne.
The transition to management came at the tail end of this year’s busy season, so these new managers got a sense of how their jobs will play out in the busiest times ahead. Lysne is focused on serving customers well from his management position: “I’m looking forward to working with the farmers to provide a service that I took a lot of pride in when I was on the sprayer,” he said.
Even with the changes, “it’s still the same company and same faces,” Peterson said, adding, “I’m here to get the job done, to get the right flow.”
The two managers are available to answer your questions: Lysne for custom application, and Peterson for location-specific needs in Osceola. And as always, your Federated Agronomists are ready to assist, too.