Agronomist earns international nod for his work

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

by SUSAN MANN

An Ontario-based certified crop advisor, Dale Cowan, has received a major international award.

Cowan, the senior agronomist and sales manager for AGRIS and Wanstead co-ops and a contributor to Better Farming magazine, has received the International Certified Crop Advisor of the Year Award.

About his win, Cowan says, “It’s very humbling and quite an honour. It has been unexpected.”

The award recognizes a certified crop advisor who delivers exceptional customer service, is highly innovative, has shown leadership, and has contributed substantially to idea exchanges and agronomic knowledge transfer within the agricultural industry, according to a July 5 press release from the American Society of Agronomy.

Cowan says being active in the industry and on a lot of volunteer boards, along with bringing new ideas and concepts to the farming community helped to earn him the international honour. He also mentors other crop advisors.

It’s the second major award Cowan has won this year. He is also this year’s winner of the Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Award of Excellence. Cowan received his certified crop advisor designation in 1997.

Cowan says he knew as the Ontario excellence award winner his nomination would be forwarded to the international certified crop advisor program along with nominees from other regions. The international board chooses the recipient.

Susan Fitzgerald, secretary-treasurer of the Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Association, says by email Cowan is the first Ontario certified crop advisor and the second Canadian one to win the international award.

For winning the award, Cowan receives an all expenses paid trip for two to the American Society of Agronomy annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona in November, a $2,000 honorarium, a commemorative plaque and a one-year membership in the society. BF