Asmus Farm Supply Named Retailer of the Year
November 30, 2017 The Agricultural Retailers Association has named Asmus Farm Supply the 2017 Retailer of the Year.
Based in Rake, IA, the operation — ranked No. 56 on the CropLife 100 — is lead by second-generation owners Harlan and Amy Asmus. AFS specializes in crop protection, plant nutrition, seed sales and seed treatment.
“Asmus farm supply started in the 1950s by my late father Harvey,” said Harlan. “Our customer relationships go deep-decades and three generations. And we also have some that are prospects for the first year, but with all our customer relationships we really view them as partnerships.”
Husband and wife Harlan and Amy have grown the business from one location to five, and have become well-known and respected industry leaders. Sons Holden and Garrett are now involved, as is Holden’s wife Billie.
“The family business goes beyond the ownership of the business. Everyone who works for and with Asmus Farm Supply is really part of that family,” said Amy.
Today, AFS serves farmers in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. All of their agronomists are Certified Crop Advisors.
Mark Helt, National Sales Manager for Monsanto, and ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock (far right), present Amy and Harlan Asmus with the 2017 Retailer of the Year Award. They accepted the award along with their sons Garrett and Holden and daughter-in-law, Billie, November 29 during the ARA Conference and Expo in Phoenix.
“Part of what sets us apart is our knowledge, and our trusted farm advisors standing with our growers,” Amy says.
AFS conducts its own product trial program-First to the Field. It’s a two-year program that starts on ground farmed by the Asmus family. Then the tests transition to customer fields with side-by-side comparison trials.
“(AFS) makes my life really simple by delivering the products for us and bringing it in bulk,” said Joe Larson, Custom Applicator, Friesenborg & Larson. “As far as my own farming operation, they are very knowledgeable so any questions we have they sure can answer them right on the spot and supply us with any products we need without waiting and whether it be after hours or in hours, they’re always there to help us.”
AFS has also launched a joint venture, Secure Tracks, which is a mobile app platform that tracks the use and location of bulk tanks.
The ARA Retailer of the Year Award sponsored by Monsanto and AgPro Magazine is a recognized symbol of quality and prestige within the industry. This coveted award honors an ag retailer, large or small, who represents the best of the best.
“Ag retailers make significant contributions to feeding the world and to responsible stewardship of our natural resources,” said ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “Asmus Farm Supply is a great representative of the industry and deserving of this award.”
Retailers that apply for the award are evaluated based on innovative business practices, community and industry leadership, environmental stewardship, reliability, technology utilization, customer service and effective employee development programs. The award is open to all sizes and types of retailers.
The award was presented in a ceremony earlier today at the ARA Conference and Expo at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. In addition to presenting awards such as the Retailer of the Year, the program features presentations on dicamba, networking opportunities and closing comments from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
Recent winners of the Retailer of the Year have included Gar Tootelian, The Andersons, NEW Cooperative, Morral Companies, Wheat Growers, Lyman/Tremont Group, Central Valley Ag and Willard Agri-Service. The annual award is selected by the members of the ARA Executive Committee.
The award recipient received two complimentary registrations, two round-trip airline tickets and two nights of accommodations at the ARA Conference and Expo. They also receive round-trip accommodations to meet with Monsanto representatives and ARA officers for a VIP dinner and tour of Monsanto’s state of the art research facilities in St. Louis, MO.
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