More than 600 Indiana certified crop advisers poured into Indianapolis this week for the annual CCA conference. The meeting is designed to allow members to earn credits to maintain their certification while brushing up on hot topics at the same time. Two days of wall-to-wall programs offer a variety of information related to the hottest topics in crop production, including updates on dicamba products in soybeans.

During a luncheon on Dec. 12, Traci Bultemeier, current chairwoman of the Indiana CCA Board, recognized winners of CCA scholarships. The group awarded four scholarships: three to Purdue University students and one to a student at Vincennes University.

The big announcement is kept secret until the luncheon. Bill Bradford, Markle, was named Indiana CCA of the Year. He is an employee of Helena Chemical Co.

To be eligible for the award, the winner must be nominated by another CCA member, and the nomination must be endorsed by his county Farm Bureau group. In this case, that’s the Wells County Farm Bureau. Indiana Farm Bureau sponsors the annual award.

Last year’s recipient, John Peacock, Winchester, was also in attendance at this year’s meeting. The award is presented every year during the luncheon.

Contributors to the Crops Corner and pest management columns that have appeared in Indiana Prairie Farmer will be recognized at a luncheon. A rotating panel of CCA members provides answers to questions throughout the year. The panel is coordinated by Betsy Bower, an agronomist with Ceres Solutions Cooperative who works primarily out of Terre Haute. Currently, CCA members contribute to Soybean Corner, Corn Corner, Soybean Pest Beat and Corn Pest Beat, all of which appear regularly on the website and in print.

Look for more information on Bradford, the 2017 CCA of the Year winner, in the near future in Indiana Prairie Farmer.