Ceres CCA Receives Top State Honor
Troy Jenkins, a veteran member of the Agronomy Team at Ceres Solutions Cooperative, has been named by Indiana CCA as the Top Certified Crop Advisor of 2022. The award was presented at the annual gathering of Indiana CCA in Indianapolis in mid-December.
Jenkins said he was completely humbled to be nominated for the award and described the recognition of receiving it as “a career highlight for me. Absolutely. This is a highlight to have worked my whole career here in local agriculture, and to be judged to be worthy of this award.”
Jenkins was joined at the ceremony by Joe Daubenmier, a member of the Indiana CCA Board, who nominated him for the honor. He was also joined by Ceres Solutions Agronomist Betsy Bower, who herself earned the award in the early 2000s. Jenkins credits Bower and also credits Ceres Solutions Agronomist Jeff Nagel as outstanding team mates whose friendship and expertise have been pivotal in the success of his career.
For those who have known Jenkins all his life, it is no surprise that he threw all his energy and enthusiasm into the field of agriculture. As someone who loves to read, learn and spend time outdoors, Jenkins discovered his passion while earning a degree as an agronomist from Michigan State University. Following graduation, Jenkins joined the staff at what was then Monsanto for several years, before coming over to the Cooperative System in the early 1990s. He has grown his professional skillset by continuing to take course credits and earn certification points every two years. He also competed the requirements to earn a 2016 distinction as a 4R Specialist with expertise in nutrient management. He describes his role at Ceres Solutions as his “dream job.”
“I get to work with farmers to help them become more profitable, but I also truly enjoy the daily opportunity to help set our field staff up for professional success,” he says. Jenkins is the primary support agronomist for dozens of field employees in his region as they work directly with farm customers of Ceres. Jenkins bases out of an office in Mentone, Indiana, but is constantly on the road assisting staff across northern Indiana and up into Michigan. Many of the team members he supports who are newer to the business are the same age of Jenkins’ own children. “I love that this is my job…” he says. “I get to teach, mentor and train our team to be the best they can be.”
Mentoring is not a role Jenkins takes lightly. He believes in educating the field staff not only on sound agronomics, but also on the wisdom and insights gained in more than three decades walking fields and meeting farmers. “The CCA Award is special to me since CCA is an organization that values integrity. The membership adheres to a code of ethics and we build long-term relationships we can be proud of having,” says Jenkins. “It is the same at Ceres. We operate with a formal list of shared values and truths that guide our business. I coach up our team to not only excel agronomically, but also to serve as leaders in our field. That’s our obligation… to strive for excellence.”
