Asmus Farm Supply’s Amy Asmus: What It Means to Be a Part of PACE
October 25, 2022 
We took a moment to chat with long-time PACE Advisory Council member, Amy Asmus of Asmus Farm Supply, to learn about her history with the PACE Initiative and her views about our inaugural PACE Executive Forum. She is looking forward to meeting up with colleagues and discussing what may be ahead of us short term and long term in the ag industry.
CropLife: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Amy Asmus: My passion is advocating for the ag industry. I own and operate a family-owned agricultural retailer in Northern Iowa. My husband and I are the second generation at the helm of this family business. I am a Certified Crop Adviser and require our agronomists to become CCAs because I believe in the value of professional certification, continuing education, and the ethics required through that certification. There are many great societies and associations in this industry. I choose to be an active part of:
- The Weed Science Society of America where I work on a core team addressing Herbicide Resistance Education and Outreach. I also represent WSSA on USEPA Office of Pesticide Programs FACA advisory committee (PPDC).
- The Certified Crop Advisers and American Society of Agronomy, where I was chair of international CCA board in 2013 and currently serve as the liaison between the ICCA board and the ASA board.
- The Agricultural Retailers Association, where I am currently board vice chair and will become chair in 2024. I have also served before my executive position as chair of the member services committee, communications sub-committee, and the sustainability sub-committee.
- I am also an invited speaker for many organizations and never feel shy about sharing my opinion and experiences with many stakeholders in the ag industry.
I am the mother of three (six with spouses) children and six grandchildren. I love to quilt, garden, and listen to books. I am an active member of Zion Lutheran Church.
CL: How long have you been a member of the PACE Advisory Council?
AA: As close as I remember since 2014 or so.
CL: What made you want to be part of PACE?
AA: Eric and Paul invited me back in 2014. Once I attended the first one, I enjoyed the forward looking conversations and the networking. There is a lot of respected people and brainpower in the PACE meeting room, I am now just lucky to be able to participate with them and learn.
CL: As a board member, why do you think it is beneficial to have opened this forum to a larger group of delegates?
Amy Asmus, Asmus Farm Supply
AA: We were a pretty exclusive group with no reports coming from the room except when the Meister Media staff decided to take one of our thoughts and run with it for a story idea. This forum is a way to invite in other members of the industry for networking and industry conversations. Although it focuses on ag retail, the topics vary to include input from all interested stakeholders.
CL: What are you most looking forward to this October?
AA: Being able to see and interact with friends and colleagues throughout industry. I also look forward to sharing successes and challenges since we all last met and look forward to what may be ahead of us short term and long term in the ag industry.
CL: What would you tell your colleagues about PACE?
AA: There is value in networking, learning, and sharing.
CL: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our industry today?
AA: People resources to make sure the right person is in the right chair. I am mostly referring to employees, but this needs to be expanded to our customers as well. Segment customers so you can meet them where they are… if they don’t fit your business model, it is okay to fire them, too.
CL: Considering these challenges, why do you feel this event is critical to attend?
AA: Again, I grow when I can interact with professionals the ag industry. If you attend with an open mind and the willingness to learn and apply what you learn to your world, you will find value in attending… whether it comes from a presentation/panel or a networking conversation.
Note: Amy Asmus will be a panelist on the session “Thriving in the New Agriculture Ecosystem” during the PACE Executive Forum — an exclusive, new conference born out of CropLife Media Group’s longstanding PACE Initiative. For over 25 years, the PACE Advisory Council has been effective in breaking down silos among the many sectors of agriculture and ag input distribution by sharing challenges and opportunities, learning from one another, and developing strategies for future action.
The PACE Executive Forum will take place October 27-28 in Kansas City, MO. You can view the agenda, learn more, and register, here.
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