James Snively receives Excellence in Crop Advising Award

James Snively receives Excellence in Crop Advising Award

James Snively, a Certified Crop Advisor and vice president of grove operations for Southern Gardens Citrus, Inc, is the 2008 winner of the Florida Excellence in Crop Advising Award sponsored by the Florida Certified Crop Adviser Program and the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. He was nominated by Armando Campos of Maitland.

“Jim has been the most diligent crop advisor in the State in leading the fight against citrus greening, a potentially devastating disease for the entire Florida citrus industry,” Campos said. “Jim has gone one step further than most by making public his pest and disease control programs, information that others might consider proprietary and would thus limit its distribution to gain an advantage in the market.”

As Florida's Certified Crop Adviser of the Year, Snively was presented a plaque and a $500 cash award Oct. 9 at the Florida Farm Bureau annual meeting at the Peabody Orlando.

Certified Crop Advisers assist producers in making decisions that are agronomically, economically and environmentally sound. To be certified, advisers must pass two comprehensive written examinations, meet professional and educational standards set by the American Society of Agronomy and maintain their certification through continuing education.

They must also sign a code of ethics pledging to work in the best interest of their client. Together, a farmer and a CCA make a team that works to put good management practices to work on the farm. For more information about the Certified Crop Adviser program, visit http://www.agronomy.org/cca.