Growing Together Summer 2026

Although Grow West joined the fertilizer market intelligence and buying group Elevar Agri-Solutions on July 1, customers of the Woodland-based ag retailer probably won’t notice a difference. They’ll still deal with the same trusted sales people, pest control advisers and set-up crews.

Designed to strengthen Grow West’s position as a leading Northern California independent ag retailer for the long term, the changes will occur behind the scenes, said CEO Ernie Roncoroni.

The decision to become a member of Wichita, Kansas-based Elevar wasn’t taken lightly and was part of a strategic move. Grow West had been part of a buying group for the past 20 years, and Roncoroni said it served the company well.

However, as the fertilizer market became increasingly complex and volatile, Grow West decided it was time to move in a different direction.

“We needed a different partner that could help us use our position in the marketplace better,” he said. “We wanted to find an organization that could help us make smarter decisions. Ultimately, fertilizer is a very important part of our customers’ businesses and our business.”

Shared Philosophies

Grow West was attracted to Elevar because of shared customer-first philosophies and their teams’ deep knowledge of global fertilizer markets and expertise in fertilizer procurement, Roncoroni said.

Darrin Boster, founder and president of Elevar Agri-Solutions, had similar sentiments.

“Our visions align very, very well,” he said. “For us, Grow West is our customer, so 1,000% every day when we wake up, our focus is our customer. We think they need to be good buyers to be good sellers, and we’ll help them be better buyers every day of the week through market intelligence and keeping an eye on markets daily.”

Of the four subsidiary companies under the Elevar umbrella, Roncoroni said they were most interested in Elevar Market Analytics and the buying arm, Elevar Agri-Solutions.

The market analytics branch is built on the extensive knowledge of its experts, many of whom are former fertilizer traders and analysts with global contacts, Boster said. What happens halfway across the world, such as in India, Russia or with the recent Strait of Hormuz closure, can drastically affect fertilizer prices and supplies in California.

Fertilizer also is at a disadvantage compared to many other agricultural commodities, he said.

Sellers and buyers of corn and soybeans can hedge or lock in prices through Chicago Board of Trade contracts. But fertilizer doesn’t have those pricing mechanisms, leaving the market open to volatility or a lack of contracts liquid enough to be true risk hedges.

“You literally can’t afford to take your eyes off of it,” Boster said.

The procurement capability and market analytics businesses center around what he called “radical transparency,” where all offers and information are laid out on the table.

On the procurement side, Elevar Agri-Solutions can leverage its global contacts with large suppliers of nitrogen, potassium and potash — N, P and K. Boster said they also may work with wholesalers or even other ag retail members in other parts of the country to source fertilizer.

If there’s flooding around St. Louis and area producers won’t be able to plant for a few weeks, that may temporarily free up fertilizer to move to California. In the end, Boster said, their goal is to help retailers understand all of the variables, make better buying decisions every day and “allow Grow West to be the best product and service provider possible.”