A nutrient management plan initially involves three major people. These people constitute the core of the plan. They include: the landowner or operator of the land (OW/OP), the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), and a conservation technician, soil conser-ationist or agronomist from the Land Conservation Department (LCD), or Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Once all of these people are identified, it is extremely important for everyone to meet so they know who their contact person is. Putting a face to a name always makes the process run more smoothly. Therefore, to aid the communication efforts it is necessary to exchange phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and mailing addresses so that a line of communication exists. Eventually, once LCD, or NRCS staff members get to know the CCA’s working in the county, the initial meeting of identifying the core group can be eliminated and done by phone.