Tina Lust of Marion, owner of Lust Seed Sales and Service — with more than 26 years of crop advising experience — was recently named the 2022 Ohio Certified Crop Adviser of the Year.

As a seed agronomist, Lust focuses on providing her customers with ethically, environmentally and economically sound recommendations that keep farmers in business, says Clint Nester, the CCA board chairman who presented the award at the Ohio Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference.

The state award recognizes an individual who is highly motivated; delivers exceptional customer service for farmer clients in nutrient management, soil and water management, integrated pest management, and crop production; and has contributed substantially to the exchange of ideas and the transfer of agronomic knowledge within the agricultural industry in Ohio.

Lust was presented a plaque and a $1,500 cash award, courtesy of the Ohio Association of Independent Crop Consultants, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and Nutrien.

“Tina represents the very best of Ohio CCAs,” Nester said during the awards program. “Her dedication, not only to her own customers, but also to farmers throughout the state through her previous work on the Ohio CCA Board, is a shining example all certified crop advisers should strive to achieve. We are pleased to add her name to the list of CCAs of the Year.”

Lust previously served as a director and chairwoman of the Ohio CCA Board. During her years of service, she revamped the board’s organization, rejuvenated lapsed committees, represented the Ohio CCA Board on the Lake Erie Commission to reduce phosphorous losses, and served on the International CCA Board.

“In my mind, Tina is one of those well-rounded agronomists who gets the job done for their customer,” said Harold Watters of OSU Extension, who nominated Lust for the award. “I talk with Tina’s customers, and they tell me how much they appreciate her advice. She isn’t flashy or all that vocal about how she works, but she digs in and really helps her customers.”

Recent honorees include Thomas Puch, Heritage Cooperative; Wesley Haun, Tiger-Sul Products LLC; Don Boehm, Legacy Farmers Cooperative; John Fritz, The Andersons Inc.; and Timothy Berning, Precision Agri Services Inc. To view the full list of past award recipients, visit oaba.net/cca.

For more information about the Ohio CCA program, visit oaba.net/cca.