News Release

MADISON, Wis. — Crop adviser Joe Nester has been named the 2026 International Certified Crop Adviser of the Year in recognition of his outstanding contributions to agronomy, nutrient stewardship, conservation, and farmer education.

Nester is founder and president of Nester Ag, LLC, an independent agronomic consulting firm serving growers across Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

“Joe exemplifies the very best of what the CCA program represents: technical excellence, ethical responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to advancing nutrient stewardship,” said Aaron Heilers, executive director of the Nutrient Stewardship Council. “His professionalism and integrity reflect the highest standards of the Certified Crop Adviser program.”

Raised on a family farm in northwestern Ohio, Nester developed an early interest in crop production while helping grow corn, soybeans, and wheat. After studying agricultural business at Northwest State College, he began his career in the retail fertilizer industry and became the youngest Sohigro plant manager at age 23.

In 1993, Nester founded Nester Ag to provide growers with zone soil sampling, nutrient management planning, and agronomy recommendations. That same year, he sat for the first Certified Crop Adviser exam ever offered in Ohio and became one of the state’s earliest CCAs.

What began as a small consulting business has grown into one of the region’s largest independent agronomy firms. Today, Nester Ag works on approximately 250,000 acres in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, much of it within the Western Lake Erie Basin watershed.

Nester has been recognized throughout his career for advancing no-till practices, precision agriculture, and nutrient stewardship. In the early 1990s, he purchased and rented no-till drills to help growers adopt conservation practices in northwestern Ohio. In 1998, he was named the National No-Tillage Conference No-Till Consultant of the Year and, in 2017, one of 25 International No-Till Legends.

He also helped growers transition into precision agriculture technologies and promoted a “prove-it” approach that encouraged farmers to use yield data and on-farm testing to guide decisions.

“Joe’s work goes beyond recommendations in the field,” Heilers said. “He serves as a trusted advisor, educator, and advocate for conservation-minded agronomy.”

Nester has played a major role in nutrient stewardship and water quality efforts throughout the Midwest. He served on the Nutrient Stewardship Council during development of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program, and in 2016, Nester Ag became the first independent consulting group to achieve 4R certification.

He has also collaborated with university researchers, conservation organizations, and government agencies on projects involving phosphorus runoff, edge-of-field monitoring, nitrogen management, gypsum applications, and water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin.

“Joe has consistently been a voice that the public and the farm community listen to and respect,” said Kris Swartz, chair of the Ohio Agricultural Conservation Initiative. “He has done all of this without compensation, only because he believes better nutrient application decisions will benefit not just farmers, but also the environment and water quality.”

Over the past 30 years, Nester has delivered presentations across 13 states and Ontario on nutrient management, soil stewardship, conservation, and precision agriculture. He has also mentored independent crop consultants and encouraged young agronomists entering the profession to pursue CCA certification.

According to the nomination materials submitted on his behalf, Nester personally recruited 15 new independent crop consultants and served as a senior adviser to help ensure the success of their businesses. Today, those advisers consult on more than 1 million acres.

Nester has also held leadership positions with the Ohio CCA Board, served on numerous advisory committees, and spent 19 years on the board of directors for Brookside Laboratories. In early 2025, he received the H2Ohio Lifetime Conservation Advocate Award for outstanding leadership and promotion of conservation in agriculture.

“Being recognized by my peers, especially at this stage of the game, means more than I can express,” Nester said. “So many people and organizations have contributed to my career and enabled me to even be considered.”

Nester said he plans to use opportunities connected to the award to continue promoting the CCA program and encouraging future agronomists.

“I am not done yet, but receiving the ICCA award is a great way to finish out my career,” he said.

Learn more about Nester by reading his profile in the latest issue of Crops & Soils magazine.