Implementation of SMSU’s 2023 MSRPC Phase IV grant proposal will produce two major outcomes:
1. We will continue to invite, encourage and engage SMSU students to participate in the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) accreditation process. Our educational CCA program aims to strengthen the breadth and depth of our agricultural curricula and expand the career opportunities for our students.
2. We will produce a publication to invite additional universities and two-year colleges to consider how they can create CCA Educational Programs to benefit their students. This story should be shared, because there is a real need to grow the next generation of professionals who can help expand the productivity and sustainability of our agricultural economy. SMSU will share both the successes and struggles we encountered as we built curricula to inspire our students to challenge themselves to prepare-for and eventually pass the rigorous CCA International and Minnesota Certification exams.
SMSU students, faculty and staff have benefitted from previous MSRPC support to create CCA educational programming in FY 2020, FY 2021 and FY 2022. In the upcoming FY 2023 research funding cycle, we aim to build upon earlier successful grant results while using past challenges to target further improvements in our educational outcomes.
The primary goals of our Phase IV grant proposal are to:
• Stimulate increased awareness and interest in CCA credentialing among SMSU students, faculty and staff.
• Encourage SMSU students to both actively participate in our CCA Educational Workshops and Programs and fully realize how CCA accreditation enhances their career opportunities.
• Engage more SMSU students to prepare-for, register and take the International and Minnesota CCA exams, and aim to increase the exam pass-rate of our students.
• Provide financial support to our students to help underwrite the fee-cost associated with CCA exam registration.
• We will produce and share a publication intended to help additional universities and two-year colleges to consider development of a CCA Educational Program as a means of furthering the beneficial impacts students in their current academic programs. SMSU will review the successes and challenges we encountered as we have been developing and refining CCA Educational Programming. We were able to engage in this project for the past three years ago, thanks to the grant support from the MSRPC.
• As we prepare this “white paper” on what has and has not worked well, we will also be informing ourselves about the how we should be directing our own efforts, going forward. It is always beneficial to engage in program review to determine how we can further improve the effectiveness of our efforts to produce more SMSU graduates who have earned the CCA credential. We are also glad to be able to share the lessons we have learned with a wider audience.
Today’s global agricultural economy faces important challenges, including worldwide growth in food demand, extreme weather events and political instability, to name a few. We will need more Certified CCA professionals to help us meet the challenges and solve real problems in ways that are profitable, responsible and sustainable. If funded, this Phase IV grant will help SMSU students and a wider audience to increase their readiness and performance to achieve CCA certification.

The primary goals of our Phase IV grant proposal are to:
• Stimulate increased awareness and interest in CCA credentialing among SMSU students, faculty and staff.
• Encourage SMSU students to both actively participate in our CCA Educational Workshops and Programs and fully realize how CCA accreditation enhances their career opportunities.
• Engage more SMSU students to prepare-for, register and take the International and Minnesota CCA exams, and aim to increase the exam pass-rate of our students.
• Provide financial support to our students to help underwrite the fee-cost associated with CCA exam registration.
• We will produce and share a publication intended to help additional universities and two-year colleges to consider development of a CCA Educational Program as a means of furthering the beneficial impacts students in their current academic programs. SMSU will review the successes and challenges we encountered as we have been developing and refining CCA Educational Programming. We were able to engage in this project for the past three years ago, thanks to the grant support from the MSRPC.
• As we prepare this “white paper” on what has and has not worked well, we will also be informing ourselves about the how we should be directing our own efforts, going forward. It is always beneficial to engage in program review to determine how we can further improve the effectiveness of our efforts to produce more SMSU graduates who have earned the CCA credential. We are also glad to be able to share the lessons we have learned with a wider audience.
Today’s global agricultural economy faces important challenges, including worldwide growth in food demand, extreme weather events and political instability, to name a few. We will need more Certified CCA professionals to help us meet the challenges and solve real problems in ways that are profitable, responsible and sustainable. If funded, this Phase IV grant will help SMSU students and a wider audience to increase their readiness and performance to achieve CCA certification.

• In alignment with our CCA Educational Programs during the past three fiscal years, we aim to increase number/proportion of SMSU Students who can earn passing scores on International and Minnesota CCA exams.

• We will continue to support and motivate students who did not pass the CCA exams on the first try to stay with the program and take the exam again in the next semester.

• Our curricula for SMSU’s Agronomy Program will continue to be updated to further integrate the knowledge and skills emphasized as part of CCA certification.

• We will increase student, faculty, staff, alumni, and public recognition of the importance of CCA certification, and highlight the increasing number of SMSU students who both earn their academic degrees and simultaneously achieve CCA certification.

• We will produce and share a publication intended to help additional universities and two-year colleges to consider development of a CCA Educational Program as a means of furthering the beneficial impacts students in their current academic programs.

Update:
As the school year has just started on Aug 21st, not much has been done in the way of training for the CCA. Recruitment of students for the CCA has started and practice sessions will start in the next few weeks.

Update:
The first testing period took place between Nov 1st-13th. This is the first time during this CCA program that the CCA governing board has switched from continuous testing to window testing in which tests can only be taken during a two week window of time.

This actually makes it easier to plan for tests and as such I think we had more students interested in taking the tests.

Lunchtime study sessions were held weekly for the four weeks preceding the test to familiarize the students with the CCA testing format and material. SMSU’s agronomy professor (Adam Alford) supervised all study sessions to serve as a resource for students to answer questions and explain topics as needed. Grant funds were used to purchase pizza dinners to encourage participation. Despite best efforts, study sessions were not well attended and only 5 attendees came over the course of 4 weeks.

6 Juniors and 1 Senior took both the international and MN local board test. This is the first time ANY of these students have taken the tests and that explains why none passed. The CCA tests are notoriously difficult and I expect a portion of the students to pass at the next window testing opportunity (Jan 24th-Feb 5th) provided they study. As passing either test exempts students from their final paper in Agronomy's Capstone course interest in passing the CCA test remains high.

JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
SENIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)

Update:
Since the last grant update, 2 seniors took both the international and MN local board test. This was the first time one of these students took the test, and the second time for the other student. Regardless, both students unfortunately failed the test, but test feedback from CCA proctors indicated both were close to passing.

SENIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
SENIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)

Since then, one of the students has signed up again for the CCA test.

Attempts are currently being made to get 6 more test attempts

Updated May 30, 2024:
Since the last grant update 6 more test attempts have been made.
The results are below:

FRESHMAN Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
JUNIOR Agronomy Major (Took both tests and failed)
SENIOR Agronomy Major (Passed International Test, failed MN Local test, Intends to pursue MN local cert)

Many of these junior students took the CCA for the first time and thus were disadvantaged for this hard test. I believe they will have a much better chance of passing with a little more agronomy courses under their belt and another go at the tests. Motivation from these Juniors remains high and I believe they will sign up for the test in the next school year as well.

• Our SMSU CCA educational programs will combine with our agricultural degree programs to produce graduates who can articulate the importance of supporting a gainful and sustainable soybean sector of the agricultural economy. SMSU Students who earn the CCA credentials will be qualified and confident to offer reliable recommendations to soybean producers, and help all of agriculture expand our production in ways that are profitable, responsible and sustainable.
• Our CCA educational workshops focus on four key areas: crop management, pest management, soil and water management and nutrient management. When our students fully participate in our educational workshops and study sessions, they will use their mastery of these four CCA skill areas to make real contributions to the economic success of MN soybean growers, and to the agricultural economy in general.