The Increasing Importance of Association Membership in Agriculture
March 10, 2025 I’ve just spent the better part of the first few months of the year attending many of the annual state association meetings. These always tend to be held during the middle of winter, just before the national trade meetings take over the spotlight come mid-February.
Although the various state associations have many differing agendas, one common thread has shown through these past few years — lackluster membership participation.
“This is an issue I think every trade association is dealing with these days,” said Kevin “K.J.” Johnson, President of the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA) at the group’s annual meeting in mid-January.
And it’s not just state associations struggling with this fact of life. When CropLife® magazine published its annual list of the nation’s top ag retailers this past December, Daren Coppock, President/CEO of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), pointed out that approximately half of the ag retailers on our CropLife 100 list were non-members.
This is unfortunate, in my opinion. Obviously, trade associations exist in the first place to help those industries they represent be heard in state and the nation’s capitals. In fact, this is one of the points made by Amy Asmus, Co-Owner of Asmus Farm Supply (AFS), an independent ag retailer located in Rake, IA.
“The most obvious and talked about advantage is the ARA policy team and voice in Washington, DC,” says Asmus, who also happens to serve as the current ARA Chairperson. “Through policy work and collaboration with other associations and stakeholders in DC, the voice of the retailer is heard throughout government.”
In 2025, this “voice in government” work is likely to take on even greater importance. Over the past several months, many of the rule changes coming to the crop protection products business mandated by the Endangered Species Act will mean lots of adjustments to traditional application practices. Making sure these are not detrimental to ag retailers will be very important. National and state associations can certainly help in this area, for members and non-members alike. However, the costs associated with these efforts will make membership dues even more critical going forward.
It’s not just crop protection and custom application work that associations can help with either. According to IFCA’s Johnson, fertilizer is also coming under increased scrutiny. “EPA recently released a draft scientific report that found that people living near farms and other sites where sewage sludge is spread as fertilizer can exceed EPA’s safety thresholds for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” he said. Keeping a close eye on the ramifications of this report is something IFCA expects to keep it “busy” throughout 2025.
Considering these concerns — and many others likely to emerge in the near future — AFS’ Asmus encourages all ag retailers to get involved with their state and national trade groups.
“Like everything, what you get out of ARA, or any association, is dependent on what you put in,” she says. “Become involved, starting on committee and have a real say in the work of the only association that represents all retailers.”
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