Area crop advisors awarded for excellence
The Mid-Atlantic Certified Crop Advisors Program presented the 2016 Excellence in Consulting Award to Tom Coleman of Delaware and Charles Leyhe of Maryland Nov. 16 in a ceremony at the Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School in Ocean City, Md.
Coleman has been involved in production agriculture throughout the Delmarva area for the past 43 years. In 2001, he founded his business, Trap Woods Inc., in Georgetown, where he consults with grain and vegetable farmers, assisting in planning for each crop year. He understands the value of educating his employees and his customers about agronomy. Coleman's knowledge of pesticide chemistry is one of the reasons many people seek his advice. Outside of crop advising, Coleman participates on the University of Delaware Nutrient Management Board and the Northeast Integrated Pest Management Advisory Board.
Leyhe provides a wide variety of crop advising services throughout the region. He is employed by Willard Agri-Service in Mt. Airy, Md., working with agronomic and forage crops for farms of all sizes. He recognizes the importance of sustainability and profitability, with the farmer's well-being always as his first consideration. Leyhe has witnessed the changes in agriculture in this region during his 37 years of providing services to local farmers. Through this he has been willing and able to modify the way he works to keep the agricultural producer as sustainable as possible. He works with local extension educators to create the best management practices to achieve continual improvement in crop yield and input efficiency.
"These two agronomists have a combined 85 years of experience in agronomy and production agriculture. We are fortunate to have them in our region," said MACCA Chair Bill Rohrer. “Agronomy is one of the most important tools in growing a crop and increasing the bottom line. It is the No. 1 factor that elevates average crops to high-yielding crops. Agronomists who acquire CCA or CPAG certification have demonstrated the highest level of certification within their profession.”
