This year’s Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) Conservationist of the Year Award has been given to Russell Taylor.
Taylor resides in Emery, Utah and is the vice president of Live Earth Products, which mines and manufactures humic acid and fulvic acid-based products. He has been a crop advisor for 24 years and part of the CCA program for 10 years.
Through his work, Taylor has focused on being an advocate for conservation practices in agriculture – working with several different organizations to change laws and draft language for the farm bill.
“Conservation is more than working in the field,” he says. “Conservation is also reshaping the rules that prevent farmers from accessing products and information that aid conservation. Getting CCAs and researchers’ expanded knowledge is essential to accomplish our goal of helping farmers.”
The CCA Conservationist of the Year Award is designed to recognize a certified crop advisor who delivers exceptional conservation advice and results, customer service, innovation, and leadership. This year’s award is supported by USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), American Society of Agronomy, CropLife America, Crop Science Society of America, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Soil Science Society of America, and The Fertilizer Institute.
The award is administered by the American Society of Agronomy, and Taylor was recently recognized during a ceremony hosted by USDA in Washington, D.C.
“I’d like to express my deepest gratitude for the honor of receiving this award,” Taylor says. “The human population is anticipated to double in the next 30 years. Growing food and feeding the human population can only be done by utilizing products that help to produce more food using the same amount of resources. Our company is focused on improving soils to help make more efficient use of applied water and fertilizer. This includes increasing access to innovative products that enhance soil health and conserve agricultural inputs. I’m excited to continue my commitment to conservation to pursue a greener and more sustainable tomorrow.”
