BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – February 10, 2021 – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) would like to congratulate this year’s ILSoyAdvisor award winners, Randy Niver and G. Kelly Robertson.
Each year, an Illinois Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) is nominated for the Soybean Master Adviser Award as a way to recognize and reward them for their passion for soybean management. This year, Randy Niver of Potomac, Ill., is being recognized as the 2021 Soybean Master Adviser.
Niver has been a CCA since 2012 and works as a Technical Agronomist for DEKALB and Asgrow in East Central Illinois. He received his bachelor’s degree in Ag Systems Management from The Ohio State University in 2007, and his master’s degree in Crop Science from the University of Illinois in 2009.
“It’s an honor to even be nominated for this award, not to mention be selected among peers who are every bit as, if not more deserving in some cases, than I am. Just to be thought of by a grower and nominated is truly an honor,” said Niver.
In addition to the Soybean Master Adviser award, ISA introduced a new award this year in honor of former CCA Soy Envoy Dave Rahe of Hillsboro, Ill., who sadly passed suddenly last April. Rahe served as a CCA Soy Envoy in 2019 and was passionate about soil management, having spent the majority of his career specializing in the field. He authored blogs for ILSoyAdvisor covering topics such as soil compaction, micronutrient management, cover crops, and more.
The Dave Rahe Excellence in Soils Consulting Award recognizes an Illinois CCA nominated for their excellence in soils consulting within Illinois soybean production systems, and this year’s recipient is G. Kelly Robertson of Benton, Ill.
Robertson is Owner and Lead Agronomist at Precision Crop Services, LLC, a Certified Professional Agronomist, and has been a CCA since 1994. His territory covers south of I-70 in Illinois and into southern Indiana.
Robertson received his bachelor’s degree in 1987 and his master’s degree in 2005 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He obtained his 4R Nutrient Management Specialty and was named the Illinois CCA of the year in 2016. Robertson also served as a CCA Soy Envoy where he wrote articles focused on double crop methods.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for an award named after Dave,” said Robertson. “He and I were friends and we visited almost on a daily basis. He would come down and help me out when we needed some extra help in the field and I would help him out with technology questions and things like that. We had a really good relationship and used each other as a sounding board for business and working with customers. To be recognized for an award named in his honor is special.”
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org.
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For more information, contact:
Rachel Peabody
peabodyr@ilsoy.org
217-825-7654
Claire Weinzierl
weinzierlc@ilsoy.org
309-660-3444
