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Stephanie Porter, Arenzville, Ill., was named the 2017 CCA Soybean Master Adviser at the 2018 ILSoyAdvisor Soybean Summit in Springfield, Ill. The award, in its second year, is funded by the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff program to recognize Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) who excel in helping farmers improve soybean production.

“I am very excited to be named the 2017 CCA Soybean Master Adviser because this is a very exciting and challenging time within the agriculture industry when it comes to growing soybeans,” says Porter. “In the coming years, there are going to be many changes and unknown territory upon the horizon for soybean growers, and I am prepared to help growers navigate through these uncharted territories.”

Porter received both her master’s degree in plant pathology (plant diagnostics) and bachelor’s degree (Integrated Pest Management) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She received her CCA accreditation and has become known industrywide for her great customer service skills with her clients.

“My favorite part of being a CCA is networking and being part of a group of agronomic professionals who have mastered a base level of standards through testing and continue to raise that standard through continuing education. Most importantly, CCAs adhere to a code of ethics, which is essential in my daily life and work,” explains Porter.

Porter has worked for the UIUC Plant Clinic, U of I Extension and Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Her experience spans many disciplines, including agronomy, horticulture, plant diagnostics and education. She works at Burrus Hybrids as an agronomist.

“Stephanie has a tremendous desire to learn and grow in both skills and knowledge,” says Todd Burrus, Burrus Seed. “This desire has lead her into time and effort far beyond the typical job commitment.”

At Burrus, Porter educates growers and staff on all types of pests that affect corn, soybean and alfalfa. “Stephanie wears multiple hats in our family business,” Burrus continues. “She provides customer support for the eastern half of our sales area, writes numerous articles concerning agronomic issues, and does employee training for half of the account management staff, making her a vital part of the Burrus team.”

ISA started the CCA Soybean Master Adviser award program in 2016 as part of its mission to help Illinois soybeans farmers excel in the global marketplace. The award acknowledges the significant role CCAs play in improving soybean production by offering insight and advice on practices to improve yield and profitability. A panel of ISA board members, Illinois CCA board members and university professionals selected Porter as the winner from among CCAs nominated from across the state.

“I would just like to thank the Illinois Soybean Association for funding soybean research and providing continuing education for CCAs and others,” says Porter. “In addition, thank you to the Illinois Soybean Association for partnering with the Illinois CCA program to provide the Illinois CCA Soy Envoy network that shares soybean management information and recommendations on ILSoyAdvisor.com in order to improve soybean productivity as well as profitability.”

In addition to recognizing CCAs through the CCA Soybean Master Adviser award, ISA is expanding opportunities for CCAs to gain knowledge and skills in soybean management. The CCAs ISA enlists to serve as CCA Soy Envoys blog about soybean management on ILSoyAdvisor.com, ISA’s agronomy-focused website.

The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) represents more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois through the state soybean checkoff and membership efforts. The checkoff funds market development, soybean production and profitability research, promotion, issues management and analysis, communications and education. Membership and advocacy efforts support Illinois soybean farmer interests in local areas, Springfield and Washington, D.C. ISA programs are designed to ensure Illinois soy is the highest quality, most dependable, sustainable and competitive in the global marketplace. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org.