________________________________________________________________________
NEWS REGARDING:
Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Award
Nominations Due October 3, 2014
FROM:
Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau
and
Lisa Muirheid Martin, Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Board
Once again, Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Board are sponsoring a state
award titled “The Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Award.” This award will recognize an individual who
has performed superior service for their farmer clients in nutrient management, soil and water
management, integrated pest management and crop production.
The Illinois award will be presented to our state Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) winner at the Illinois Farm
Bureau Annual Meeting in December of 2014 in Chicago and recognized at the Illinois CCA Conference in
Springfield. The Illinois winner will be submitted to the Illinois CCA Board for consideration of
submission for the International CCA Award.
The purpose of our Illinois award program is to increase the awareness that farmers and their service
people strive to do their best in making economically and environmentally sound cropping decisions.
With increasing farm size, the complexity of management options, and complicated regulations, we
foresee farmers relying more and more on the advice of specialists who are CCAs.
The CCA Award is designed to recognize a crop adviser who delivers exceptional customer service, is
highly innovative, or is a leader in their field.
To be considered for the Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Award, a CCA must be certified in Illinois and
nominated by a County Farm Bureau®, an active Farm Bureau member, or the employer of the CCA who
has knowledge of the CCA’s qualifications.
Additionally, other agricultural groups may suggest nominations. These other agricultural groups should
work with their CFB on the nomination since the Nomination Form must be signed by the County Farm
Bureau president.
If you have questions in identifying the correct County Farm Bureau president, please contact Lauren
Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau, at 309-557-3153, llurkins@ilfb.org.
A Nomination Form, Recommendation Form, and Tips for Completing the Nomination are attached.
Please feel free to distribute them to those who might be using the services of a CCA. The nomination
should include the Nomination Form and one Letter of Recommendation Form.
Your County Farm Bureau may resubmit a past candidate who was not chosen as CCA of the Year. If you
choose to do so, please complete these attached forms for the current year.
Illinois Farm Bureau must receive the nomination by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3, 2014.
If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau, at 309-557-3153,
llurkins@ilfb.org; or Lisa Muirheid Martin at 815-844-6677, lisam.martin@frontier.com.
Nomination Form
Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Award 2014
Sponsored by: Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Board and Illinois Farm Bureau®
Please complete this required nomination form and have it signed by the County Farm Bureau
president. One Letter of Recommendation Form should also be attached.
Candidate name: _________________________________________________________
CCA number: ____________________________________________________
Mailing address: __________________________________________________
Phone number: ___________________________________________________
E-mail (if available): ______________________________________________
Employer (if applicable): _________________________________________________
Your name: ____________________________________________________________
Mailing address: _________________________________________________
Phone number: ___________________________________________________
E-mail: _________________________________________________________
Additional pages may be added if needed.
1. How many years of crop consulting experience? __________
2. Scale and scope of crop advising work being done, i.e. type of clientele, acres responsible
for, crops, particular areas of focus or specialty. (20 points)
3. What skills or initiatives has this CCA displayed in his/her crop advising career that sets
him/her apart from their colleagues? (40 points)
4. List CCA program involvement, i.e. serving on committees, Board, organizing CCA
events, promoting continuing education, promoting own designation or company
involvement, etc. (25 points)
5. Other volunteer service within and outside the agriculture industry. (15 points)
Signature of County Farm Bureau President:______________________ Date: _______________
Return by 4:00 p.m. on October 3, 2014 to:
`
Lauren Lurkins
Illinois Farm Bureau®
1701 Towanda Avenue
Bloomington, IL 61701
309-557-3153
llurkins@ilfb.org
Letter of Recommendation Form
Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Award 2014
Sponsored by: Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Board and Illinois Farm Bureau®
Nominee: ____________________________________________________________________
Person completing reference (customer or employer): ___________________________________
Mailing address: ________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _______________________________
E-mail: ____________________________________________________________________
Additional pages may be added if needed.
1. How many years has the CCA been assisting you with crop advice? __________
2. What type of services and advice has the CCA provided? Were the CCA’s activities
unique or exceptional? (i.e. plot work such as corn hybrid trials or variable rate nitrogen, new
product demonstration, yield map interpretation, etc.)
3. What specific crop production objectives/goals were met and how have these resulted in a net
benefit to your operation?
4. Has the nominee been instrumental in identifying, reducing, solving or avoiding any
environmental problem?
5. Were the CCA’s activities a proactive approach to a particular agronomic problem or challenge
facing farming, rural communities or the agri-food industry? Describe:
6. Please make any other comments which you feel best describes the candidate.
Signature____________________________ Date: ________________________
Return by 4:00 p.m. on October 3, 2014 to:
Lauren Lurkins
Illinois Farm Bureau®
1701 Towanda Avenue
Bloomington, IL 61701
309-557-3153
llurkins@ilfb.org
Additional Information and Tips for Completing the CCA
Award Nomination
Purpose: The Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Award is designed to recognize a certified crop adviser
who delivers exceptional customer service, is highly innovative, has shown that they are a leader in
their field, and has contributed substantially to the exchange of ideas and the transfer of
agronomic knowledge within the agriculture industry.
Criteria: To be considered for the Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Award, a CCA must be certified in
Illinois and nominated by a County Farm Bureau, an active Farm Bureau member, or the employer
of the CCA who has knowledge of the CCA’s qualifications.
Additionally, other agricultural groups may suggest nominations. These other agricultural groups
should work with their County Farm Bureau on the nomination since the nomination form must be
signed by the County Farm Bureau president.
If you have questions in identifying the correct County Farm Bureau president, please contact
Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau, at 309-557-3153, llurkins@ilfb.org.
Selection Committee: The Selection Committee will be comprised of three representatives of the
Illinois CCA Board plus two members of the Illinois Farm Bureau Board of Directors.
Tips for Nomination Form:
1. Typed forms are preferred, but not required.
2. The CCA Award is designed to recognize a crop adviser who delivers exceptional customer
service, is highly innovative, or is a leader in their field. The main question to answer is:
“What is this CCA doing that is over and above what others are doing, unique, or cuttingedge?” We are looking for specific agronomic examples.
3. Here are some suggestions for the Nomination Form:
 Question #2 – Include situations where the CCA is involved in daily field decisions and
crop production advice and be specific. For example, state the number of customers,
type of crops, number of acres on which the CCA is advising, number of locations for
which they are responsible, running plot trials, acts as a resource person for grower
groups, etc.
 Question #3 – Include activities like writing a grower newsletter, organizing a meeting of
customers to review the past year’s successes and failures, holding field days to highlight
new technologies and emerging issues, etc.
 Question #4 – This question asks for a list of the CCA’s program involvement. This could
be serving on a CCA committee, writing articles for publication, ensuring CCA decals are
on all company vehicles and office windows, distributing CCA brochures to producers,
etc.
 Question #5 – This question is an opportunity to highlight some of the other community
activities in which the CCA may be involved. For example, sports teams/coaching, local
Soil & Crop Improvement Assoc., Ag-in-the-Classroom, local hospital or religious boards,
involvement in charities, etc.
Tips for the Letter of Recommendation Form:
1. One Letter of Recommendation must come from the candidate’s employer or from a
customer. The Letter of Recommendation Form must come from a customer if the
candidate is self-employed.
2. One Letter of Recommendation Form must accompany the Nomination Form. The Letter of
Recommendation Form states the questions that should be completed.
Deadline:
The nomination needs to be received by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3, 2014.
Send to:
Lauren Lurkins
Director Natural and Environmental Resources
Illinois Farm Bureau®
1701 Towanda Avenue
Bloomington, IL 61701
llurkins@ilfb.org