What does it take to earn the International Certified Crop Advisor of the Year Award?
The unique personal pastime of this year’s recipient provides a clue: hunting down, sampling and photo documenting 26 official state and provincial soils.
John Heard, a soil fertility extension specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, recently received the annual award from the American Society of Agronomy.
The award is presented for outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, research and national and international service. It recognizes a certified crop adviser who delivers exceptional customer service, is innovative, has shown leadership and has contributed substantially to the exchange of ideas and the transfer of agronomic knowledge within the agriculture industry.
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Don Flaten, a soils professor at the University of Manitoba, said Heard has an “old-fashioned dedication to helping farmers make good decisions for the best interests of their families, their farms and their communities. There is only one such award granted yearly in the whole world. It’s a privilege and a pleasure to work with an international agronomic superstar like John.”
Heard is well know by farmers across the West through meetings, field days, demonstrations and technical training. He also works with producers dealing with fertilization practices in oilseeds, cereals, pulses and forages.
His major crop adviser training delivery is through the Manitoba Crop Diagnostic School in July and the Manitoba Agronomist’s Conference in December, which is webcast live to certified crop advisers across the Prairies.
Heard received a bachelor of science in agriculture from the University of Guelph in Ontario and a masters of science from Purdue University in Indiana.
The award will be formally presented at the ASA International Annual Meeting Nov. 11.
