American Society of Agronomy International Certified Crop Adviser Program

American Society of Agronomy (ASA) Started in ,000 members Membership comprises: – Academia – Government – Industry or private sector

American Society of Agronomy (ASA) Products and Services: – Scientific Publications - Agronomy Journal – Monthly Magazine – CSA News – Bi-monthly Magazine – Crops and Soils – World Class meetings Latest research updates Educational programs – Advocacy – Certification: Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg)

American Society of Agronomy (ASA) Certifications: – protects the public and the profession – helps establish the profession through standards – enhances professional development Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg)

International Certified Crop Adviser Program (ICCA) 13,000 + (CCAs) certified in the USA and Canada CCA Mission: The Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Program validates the credentials of professional crop advisers by establishing standards for knowledge, experience, ethics and continuing education. CCA Vision: To be the most valuable certification a professional crop adviser can hold by establishing Certified Crop Advisers’ (CCA) essential role in agricultural production, food safety and environmental stewardship.

International Certified Crop Adviser Program (ICCA) *Crop advisers provide advice and counsel to farmers, ranchers and other agricultural entities in their decision making process. *This responsibility requires a proficient understanding of crop production science, food safety, technology, economics and the environment. *Crop advisers combine their knowledge in these disciplines as well as their local experience to provide sound recommendations to their clients.

Questions ? What you always wanted to know …

Certification or Membership Certification: – A credential you “earn” and must meet a set standard, usually defining a profession and /or professional conduct, employment related Membership: – Something you “join”, usually open to anyone with the common interest, pay fees

Words Certification: voluntary, professional standards, defines profession License: mandatory, government required, defines practice, title, responsibilities Registry: list of those who meet a standard or requirement, voluntary or mandatory

Structure American Society of Agronomy (ASA) International CCA Board (ICCA) State/Province/Regional (Local) CCA Board

Structure/Relationship ASA is the credentialing organization ICCA Board is the certifying body – Sets the policies and procedures Local CCA Boards implement the program – grants/denies certifications to individuals

ICCA Board Structure 45 voting – 1 voting member from each local board (37) – 3 chairs – vice-chair; chair; past-chair – 1 ASA Board representative – 4 standing committee chairs Finance; S/E; CEC; EPC 8 ex-officio – government and staff – 2 CSREES; NRCS; EPA; FSA; ASA CEO; ASA Pres.; Dir. Certification

Local Board Structure 7 minimum members Similar to ICCA board State / Province equivalent for government agencies At least 50% should be CCA and elected Chairs serve 1 or 2 year, non-consecutive terms – Vice-chair; chair; past-chair rotation Members serve up to 2 – 3 year consecutive terms

Duties of the ICCA Board Set the policies and procedures for the program Policy and Procedures manual – online:

Duties of the Local Board Administer the CCA program, actively market CEU opportunities, ensure availability Enforce the code of ethics Rule on work exp. & ed. Requirements Develop the local exam Administer the exams Grant certification Approve expenses and update ASA on board member changes

Board Member updates Very Important ! Not on list = not covered by E & O Liability insurance provided by ASA Madison will send reminders annually but don’t wait for those

Supporting Documents Credential Booklet Performance Objectives CEU Application Reporting Forms All found on the website or we can provide paper copies as needed

Basics “This is a football.” VL – Exams – Experience / Education – Ethics Enforcement – Continuing Education

Exams International Local Board – 4 primary competency areas Nutrient management Soil and water management Integrated pest management Crop management First Friday in February and August (optional) – Deadline to register is 6 weeks prior

Exams Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) – Performance Objectives Content experts draft (academia, gov’t, industry) End user review, relavence – Exam question development – Validation of exam questions by end users – All exams must follow the same procedures Is yours?

Experience / Education 4 years / no degree or not related degree 3 years / associate degree, 15 semester hours 2 years / BS degree agronomy or close

Experience NOTE: If an applicant spends less than 30% of his or her time engaged in the activities described previously, partial credit might be assigned based on the following: Actual ExperienceCCA Experience 30%1.00 year per year involved 25%0.83 years per year involved 20%0.66 years per year involved 15%0.50 years per year involved <15%No credit is given. This is not to be retroactive For example, an applicant spends 20% of his or her time in activities outlined in 3a, b or c and lists 10 years experience. The applicant should receive 6.6 years credit for experience (i.e; 0.66 x 10 years = 6.6 years)

Education Degree must meet the minimum course work listed on the forms Agronomy Degree or Closely Related – Agronomy related course work is key 15 semester hours minimum

References 1.Two completed reference forms (one from the employer and one from a client or individual who is familiar with the applicant’s work experience in crop production). Be sure the two reference letters are signed and witnessed or notarized. 2.Do the references recommend the applicant for certification? 3.Are the references familiar with the applicant’s work history?

CCA vs. CCA Candidate CCA - meets all of the requirements CCA Candidate – does not have the full experience, defined time frame set by the local board, ideal for students – Pass exams – Has at least one reference – Course work/degree if claiming – Does not have CEU or annual fee requirements

Continuing Education 40 hours (continuing education units CEUs) – With at least 5 in each of the 4 categories 2 year cycle – calendar based No yearly minimum Minimum of 20 as Board approved Max of 20 as self study No limit on Professional Development or self reported but indirectly they do

Forms/instructions CEU event application Sign in sheets Self study instructions Scanners – electronic version of sign in sheet

Types of CEUs Board Approved – professional meetings, structured field days/research plot tours, seminars, workshops – can be face to face or live internet delivered with a way to track attendance – board reviews and approves = CCA CEU Self Reported – same as board approved but board did not review, CCA self reports Board Approved Self Study – distance education, must have a quiz attached

CEUs Online access 24/7 – Local board administrators have online access – CCAs have access Reports mailed 2x / year, Jan. and Sept.

CEUs Unique tracking number assigned to every event once approved – Assigned by local board or Madison office – Identifier through system

Ethics Code of Ethics Enforcement Procedures – Starts with a written complaint – Local board standards and ethics committee – Process is very deliberate and needs to be followed closely to ensure fairness

Calendar of Events Updated in Dec./Jan. each year – Deadlines for activities

Promotions and Communications Advertisements Press releases Articles Logos Exhibit booth Posters/brochures

Government Recognized by – USDA – EPA – RMA Technical Services Provider MOU – Nutrient management – Integrated pest management – Land management – tillage practices

TSP CAPs new in 2009 Conservation Activities Plans – Focused on using TSPs – 17 categories

USDA – NRCS New Program Mississippi River Conservation Initiative – RFPs coming out on how to implement focused, comprehensive on farm conservation practices that will help improve water quality Practical Production enhancing 12 states along the MS River Cooperative partnership approach

Webinars ASA sponsored each month Timely topic of interest to CCAs Future – need an advisory team of CCAs who would communicate the latest events that a webinar should address, will help make the events more timely

Fundamentals in Applied Agronomy Online course, 12 sessions, 2 hours each Fall and Spring Prep to become certified and good review Follows ICCA POs

Crops and Soils Magazine ASA – delivered 6X per year Educational focus on what is important to Certified Professionals in Agronomy and Soil Science [CCA, CPAg, CPSS/C] Need more local content – available to local boards provide updates

Questions ?? Board meeting starts at 10:30 Thank you.