Gene McAvoy, Hendry County Extension director and a LaBelle-based regional vegetable Extension Agent with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has been chosen to receive the 2009 Excellence in Crop Advising Award.
The recognition is presented by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation and the Florida Certified Crop Advisors Program. He received the award at the Florida Farm Bureau’s 68th annual meeting, Oct. 28-30, in Daytona Beach.
Mary Hartney, president and chief executive officer of the Winter Haven-based Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association and who coordinates the Certified Crop Advisor program, says the she nominated McAvoy because of “his unstinting devotion to providing the ag community with the best information possible.”
Hartney said, “Gene’s a tireless champion of the Florida Certified Crop Advisor program, consistently providing quality programs and seminars for CCAs to earn their required 40 hours of continuing education credits. He keeps them up-to-date on field conditions through his electronic S FL Vegetable Pest and Disease Hotline. He’s constantly striving to educate the general public about agriculture’s role in feeding the world.”
“His influence reaches across 70,000 acres of vegetable production and involves helping growers in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee with everything from crop production efficiency and sustainability to farm safety and regulatory compliance; from integrated pest management, post-harvest quality and food safety to vegetable nutrition and irrigation management.“
“Not only does he organize a lot of meetings, but they are cutting edge and promote professionalism in the field”, she says. “Thanks to his efforts, Florida Certified Crop Advisors are armed with the technical and research information they need to help grow Florida agriculture.”
McAvoy, who has been the SW Florida Regional Extension vegetable specialist for 13 years, says, “I was taken completely by surprise. I am very honored, very appreciative of it.”
The national Certified Crop Advisor program, administered by the American Society of Agronomy, is a voluntary certification program that promotes increased knowledge of nutrient management, soil and water management, integrated pest management and crop management.
CCAs must pass two exams (international and local) in four major competency areas: nutrient management, soil and water management, integrated pest management and crop management and submit credentials detailing their education, crop advising experience plus two references. They must sign and adhere to a code of ethics. They must then maintain their certification through continuing education programs.
The CCA program is administered locally in 37 states. In Florida, the Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association oversees it.