Dean Block: 2025 ND CCA of the Year
Recognizing professional leadership, practical agronomy and service to North Dakota agriculture.
Merle “Dean” Block
Merle “Dean” Block is an agronomic professional, active producer, and commercial operator based in Rolette, North Dakota. As an active grower raising small grains and canola, alongside his leadership as the owner and operator of Johnson Oil Co. since 2013 — where he first began serving regional producers in 1987 — Merle brings a dynamic, multi-faceted perspective to North Dakota agriculture.
Dean earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University in December 1986 and has been a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) since the mid-1990s. Combining over three decades of certified agronomic expertise with hands-on farming and retail experience, he excels at bridging field-level production with high-level commercial agronomy.
He specializes in crop protection, chemical formulation specifications, active ingredient conversions, and soil fertility management.
Practical experience. Regional knowledge. Long-term service.
His firsthand experience managing his own crop acreage gives him a deep, practical understanding of real-world operational challenges, equipment technology, and regional land stewardship.
Lifelong commitment to local farming communities, continuous learning, and decades of certified agronomic leadership are central to Dean’s contribution to North Dakota agriculture.
Recognizing innovation, leadership and exceptional service to the agricultural community.