Ohio Certified Crop Adviser of the Year Award Winner

Mike Dailey Shares His CCA Experience

Mike Daily, independent consultant from Mt. Vernon, was awarded the 2012 Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) of the Year Award on March 6, and shares his personal experience of being a CCA:

Why am I a CCA?

“I have been a CCA for 18 years. When the program was being formulated in the early 1990s, I immediately liked the idea and commented on the positive possibilities as part of a targeted organization with the Ohio Association of Independent Crop Consultants. I have always believed in professional organization, certification and continuing education for anyone in any job in the business world. Agriculture is no different. This was a chance to establish guidelines and training requirements to become and remain proficient in our job duties as agronomists and crop consultants. Better to police ourselves than to have someone do it for you.

Being a CCA is usually not for monetary reasons, but instead for professional quality assurance. I believe in the program enough to have participated in the first review to improve upon the initial test and have volunteered to participate on reviews of individual performance objectives in the past. Having served on the Ohio CCA Advisory Board for eight years, I can assure you, with great satisfaction, that this group of professionals is solely interested in maintaining, representing, promoting and protecting the CCA Program for all who choose to participate as an Ohio CCA.

If you plan to remain or become a professional crop adviser, then you should become a CCA to show your commitment to the overall professionalism of the industry and to assure your customers that they are receiving quality advice from your current educational experience.

Holding a CCA designation automatically puts you in the top tier of candidates with agronomic employers and solidifies your status with current and future customers. It is automatically assumed by customers and employers alike that the CCA designation indicates a commitment to high-quality, scientific service as a result of your commitment to extra training, and because you went above and beyond the normal requirements to work in the field of agronomy.”

Dailey has contributed to the growth and development of countless CCAs over the years, as well as helping his farmer clients thrive and prosper with their businesses by making his recommendations based on science and fact. He has served as a former chairman of the CCA Board, has volunteered as an agricultural educator at Kenyon College Environmental Center and has taught local Sunday School.

The CCA of the Year Award is a statewide award designed to recognize an individual who is highly motivated; who delivers exceptional customer service for farmer clients in nutrient management, soil and water management, integrated pest management and crop production; and who has contributed substantially to the exchange of ideas and the transfer of agronomic knowledge within the agricultural industry in Ohio.

To view photos from the award ceremony, click here and “like” the page.

For more information about the Ohio CCA Program, click here.