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MARK MAFFETT RECEIVES CERTIFIED CROP
ADVISER AWARD
(Orlando, Fla.) – Mark Maffett of Dade City,
a certified crop adviser (CCA) and field representative for
the Growers Fertilizer Corporation, is the 2004 winner of the
Florida Excellence in Crop Advising Award sponsored by the Florida
Farm Bureau Federation and the Florida Certified Crop Adviser
Program. The Pasco County Farm Bureau Board of Directors nominated
Maffett for the honor. As Florida’s Certified Crop Adviser
of the Year, Maffett received a handsome plaque and $500 cash
award at the annual Florida Farm Bureau meeting October 28 at
the Walt Disney World Coronado Springs Resort.
“Through freezes, floods, pestilence and
drought, Mark has encouraged when needed, researched what he
was unsure of and promoted new and better practices,”
said Pasco County Farm Bureau President Wilton Simpson. “He
has never wavered from his desire to save the producer money
by offering the best crop advise possible. Because of his roots
in this community, his dedication to personal service and the
knowledge he provides, there is no one more deserving of this
award.”
Certified Crop Advisers assist producers in making
decisions that are agronomically, economically and environmentally
sound. To be certified, advisers must pass two comprehensive
written examinations, meet professional and educational standards
set by the American Society of Agronomy and maintain their certification
through continuing education. They must also sign a code of
ethics pledging to work in the best interest of their client.
Together, a farmer and a CCA make a team that works to put good
management practices to work on the farm.
Maffett was born in Pasco County and graduated
from Pasco High School, where he participated in FFA judging
teams and was a student of the well-known citrus teacher, Floyd
Philmon. For over 29 years Maffett has advised and supported
the agricultural producers of his four county area in central
Florida.
The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the
state’s largest general agricultural association with
more than 150,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in
Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, non-profit agricultural
organization and is not associated with any arm of government.
For more information about the Certified Crop
Adviser program, visit
http://www.agronomy.org/cca.
For more information on the Florida Farm Bureau
Annual Meeting, visit http://www.FLORIDAFARMBUREAU.org
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Florida
Farm Bureau Federation