About Us

A respected leader in the seed industry, Doc Peterson has spent more than 54 years in the agricultural sales arena. Throughout his career, he worked with multiple companies through industry mergers and acquisitions, gaining broad understanding of the agricultural marketplace to help bring solutions to the needs of growers.  After decades of helping customers succeed, Doc established an independent path focused on making decisions based solely on what was best for the growers he served.  In 2016, he founded The Seed Shed, earning a reputation throughout the Brookings area for trusted relationships, independent recommendations, and exceptional customer service. 

The foundation of Finishline Ag was established years earlier back in 2008.  Jesse Peterson transitioned from a successful career in banking and mortgage finance into the seed industry after accepting a District Sales Manager position.  Under Doc's mentorship, Jesse developed a comprehensive understanding of the business while continuing on earning his Master's Degree.  As Jesse often says, “I earned my master's degree in the classroom-- but my Ph.D. in sales from Doc!"  The two worked side by side for four years before a company acquisition led Jesse into the crop protection industry as a Business Representative, while Doc continued to develop and start The Seed Shed.  Over the next few years Doc’s seed business grew and Jesse opened The Chem Shed in 2017 to help offer better crop protection solutions to growers in the area.

In 2024, Jesse made the decision to buy The Seed Shed and allow the father and son team to unite their experience and vision by transitioning The Seed Shed and The Chem Shed into Finishline Ag LLC.  The objective was clear: bring seed, crop protection, biologicals, and other leading agronomic consulting services from the industry’s top companies under one independent, family-owned business dedicated to helping growers make informed decisions and maximize their results. 

Today, Finishline Ag is built on over 7 decades of combined agricultural experience, supported by a commitment to integrity, accountability, and customer success. As Doc steps back from day‑to‑day operations after selling the business to Jesse, he proudly passes the torch on to the next generation. And even though Doc is easing into a new chapter, you’ll still find him around spreading his wisdom, rolling his eyes at Jesse's new endevors, but most importantly helping to keep the grower‑first values to shape the business and guide its future.

At Finishline Ag, we combine professional expertise with family-owned values to help you cross the harvest “finish line” with confidence.