Submitted Photo Steve Knorr, Minot, center, holds the plaque he received for being named the 2018 Seed Advisor of the Year for the United States. The award was presented by Golden Harvest at St. Kitts, Carribean.

Steve Knorr of Advanced Seed has been named the 2018 Golden Harvest National Seed Advisor of the Year. A local, independent Golden Harvest Seed Advisor in Minot since 2017, Knorr offers in-depth market and agronomy insights and dedicated customer service to farmers.

“Steve’s ability to connect with customers is second to none,” said Lance Makeeff, Golden Harvest account manager. “Advanced Seed knows the markets inside and out and has done more for upper North Dakota farmers in two years than I ever could have imagined. Steve is a big dreamer who is also a big doer; he hosts on-site customer events to demonstrate local seed, crop protection and field management trials. Steve knows both sides of the coin as he is a long time corn grower in our area and has an extensive agronomy background much of which is supported from NDSU education and continued research.”

Knorr told the Minot Daily News he was thrilled to receive the award for the Northern District, one of 13 districts encompassing the entire United States.

“Obviously I sell seeds for one of the major brands in the country and am humbled to get the award,” said Knorr. “The biggest thing for me when I got into the seed business was bringing value to farmers in the area. It’s been fun to work with farmers.”

Knorr was recognized at the 2019 Golden Harvest Seed Advisor Rewards Trip award ceremony, which celebrated the top-performing Seed Advisors from across the country. Out of the 13 district winners eligible for the national award, Knorr was selected as the top Seed Advisor based on excellence in business performance, dealership growth and customer support. Along with offering Golden Harvest corn and soybeans, Knorr is a leading supporter of Enogen corn enzyme technology, an in-seed innovation that benefits farmers who market grain to participating ethanol plants and those who produce grain or silage for livestock feed.

“The Golden Harvest value I bring to customers is what matters most to me,” said Knorr. “I truly believe in the integrity of this company. The folks behind the scenes aren’t here just to sell a bag of seed to farmers; they are here to bring us true value. After one year of trying Golden Harvest corn and soybeans, my customers are coming back and saying, ‘Wow, we’re happy with the products. We want to increase our order for 2019.'”