Shopping for an agronomist

You decide your farm could benefit from outside advice on crop rotation and fertilizer rates, or on scouting and pest management. You want to hire an agronomist. Here are some questions to ask so you find the right person.

What are your qualifications?

The Canola Council of Canada 2024 survey of agronomy providers included agronomists, retails, territory reps and government extension staff. Of the people who checked the “agronomist” box, 32 per cent had both Professional Agrologist (P.Ag.) and Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) accreditation. Another 19 per cent were P.Ag only and 19 per cent were CCA only.

The survey also asked how many had their 4R designations. Forty-six per cent of all respondents (not just the self-declared agronomists) have the Fertilizer Canada designation and 10 per cent had the CCA designation.

In asking about qualifications, you might also ask how many years of experience they have and ask for references. What other farmers have they’ve worked with in the area? If an agronomist is less experienced, ask if they have a network within their company to support them.

You might also ask about their independence. Are they tied to a particular product line?

What are your areas of expertise?

Think about what you want from an agronomist. If you want someone to guide you through a transition to optimal-rate or variable-rate fertilizer, look for agronomist with expertise in that practice. If you want someone to scout crops and advise on pest management, look for an agronomist who knows how to scout, what thresholds to follow, and has the confidence to say “spray” or “don’t spray.” You also want someone with expertise in the crops you grow, or want to grow.

How will you help me increase profits? What is my ROI in hiring you?

An agronomist can make advanced fertilizer recommendations, help you interpret soil test results and make complete nutrition management recommendations that match your farm needs and appetite for risk. They can also scout when you don’t have the time, and make recommendations to spray or not spray. They also know products, rates and timing to get the most out of a spray.

One way to evaluate an agronomist could be to hire them for a field visit and join them. That will give you an idea of the time, tools and expertise required, and the value provided.

How often will you check my fields?

Proper scouting can require one or two hours every week in each canola field to keep tabs on all the possible threats. This is time well spent if it means stopping an insect that has reached economic levels of damage, or recognizing conditions where a fungicide spray is needed. If finding the time to do a proper job is almost impossible, an agronomist can do this. They also know what threats are showing up in the area.

How much do I pay you?

The answer depends on what you want done. Be clear about expectations.

Agronomists who offer one-time field visits might charge $200 to $300 per hour. For regular second opinions, some agronomists offer a personal text, email or phone service for a flat amount per year plus an extra fee for any field visits. Full package agronomy could be $8 to $10 per acre. If you just want crop scouting and pest management recommendations, that would be $4 to $7 per acre. Setting up a variable-rate fertilizer program, including initial soil testing and regular prescription maps, is $4 to $7 per acre for set up plus about the same for the ongoing annual work.

Keep in mind that an agronomist has other clients and a full schedule. They manage their time and billing the same way a lawyer or accountant does.

How will you and I communicate? And how often will we connect?

The answer relates to the payment scheme. Sharing results from a one-off field visit could be by text or one quick phone call. At the other end of the spectrum, a full package deal could mean multiple texts per day, weekly in-person visits, regular phone calls and written reports.

Will you make me do things I don’t want to do?

This relates to expectations. Talk to the agronomist about your targets and risk tolerance. Make sure the agronomist understands what you consider important. In some cases, you will want an agronomist who pushes back on your objectives if they see a different approach that could provide a better outcome. Agronomists may know that yield potential for a field far exceeds what you’ve been achieving. They may know how to unlock higher profitability.

Ultimately you want a relationship built on trust and understanding. Agronomists often want the same from you. They want to work with farmers who appreciate their talent, their personality and will happily pay for their expertise. A conversation ahead of time can help sort these perspectives.

This is a personal relationship. So hire the agronomist, not their company.