Kyle Jones, a 22-year custom applicator with Heartland Coop in Slater, Iowa, was named as the 2008 Ag-Chem Operator of the Year during this year’s Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) annual convention in Austin, Texas.

Jones covers an average of 44,000 acres each year between fertilizing and spraying fields. He started in custom application because he enjoys the work, being in the field, and working with the customers. He prides himself in treating each field as a unique piece of land, knowing each waterway, terrace and wet spot, and that’s the type of attention to detail that led to his selection.

The other finalists for the 2008 Ag-Chem Operator of the Year program were: Donald Suflow, Cargill Inc., Maynard, Minn.; Randy Archer, Bollmeyer Inc., Hinton, Iowa; and Michael Grube, Valley Agronomics LLC, Ashton, Idaho.