Technical Advisor and Agricultural Science Communicator
Front Row Ag, LLC
Northern California

Tyler Simmons is a Technical Advisor and agricultural science communicator focused on controlled environment agriculture (CEA), crop steering, and plant performance optimization. His work centers on designing, implementing, and supporting data-driven cultivation systems that improve consistency, yield, and operational value at commercial scale.

With over 15 years of experience in production cultivation environments, Tyler has worked with facilities of all sizes, including operations 100k sq.ft.+ across indoor and mixed-light systems. His background includes hands-on cultivation leadership, systems design, and the development of standardized operating procedures used to accelerate startup timelines and improve repeatability in commercial environments.

Tyler co-founded Northern Emeralds, where he served as COO and Cultivation Director during the early period of California adult-use legalization. In this role, he oversaw indoor and mixed-light production, led cultivation operations within a 100-person vertically integrated organization, and implemented data-driven cultivation standards focused on rapid stabilization and long-term asset value. Product from these facilities was consistently positioned at the top tier of the California retail market.

As CEO of TS Systems LLC, Tyler provides end-to-end technical services for commercial operators, including facility and grow room design, environmental strategy, irrigation and fertigation programs, IPM integration, water quality management, and ongoing technical support. His work emphasizes holistic system design - ensuring that environmental controls, nutrition, irrigation, and plant health practices function cohesively and effectively.

Tyler created the technical curriculum for Front Row Ag Certified, a public, free educational program focused on applied CEA science. To date, more than 1,300 participants have taken the course. He regularly teaches through recorded sessions on Front Row Ag’s Youtube Channel and has presented on crop steering and integrated cultivation strategies in industry education settings, including Grodan-hosted Gro-Talks and AROYA Live at MJBizCon. He has also contributed technical writing on controlled environment agriculture to Garden Culture Magazine.

Typical outcomes of Tyler’s work include increased $/sq.ft./day, higher yields, and the resolution of persistent production issues through systems-level analysis. His approach emphasizes understanding the full cultivation environment rather than isolated variables.

Tyler’s work focuses on applied agricultural science, system integration, and education for commercial cultivation teams. He also leads Based Health, a separate consulting project supporting the application of emerging technologies in human performance.

Areas of Expertise

• Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems
• Crop steering strategy and implementation
• Fertigation and precision irrigation programs
• Environmental controls and grow room design
• Integrated pest management (IPM) systems
• Water quality, cleanliness, and treatment strategy
• Data-driven cultivation standardization and SOP development
• Technical education and agricultural science communication
• Remote operations support and facility optimization