Professional farm mangers.

The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), in Denver, CO, currently has a membership of approximately 2,500 property economic professionals, primarily involved with agricultural property management, consulting and appraisal.

Statistics, which are somewhat dated, suggest approximately 15% of all U.S. farm and ranch land is managed by ASFMRA and an additional acreage is influenced by ASFMRA consultant recommendations. Over one half of the U.S. farmland is owned by non-farmers, with about 60% absentee-owned in the cornbelt. The number of acres managed and receiving consulting services is increasing yearly.

As a steady increase of baby boomers transition into retirement, more professional services are sought. The November 2005 issue of Ag Professional magazine shows that the fastest growing farm management firms in the U.S. posted 5% to 20% increases in acreage managed over that of the previous year. A growing number of landowners do not have the time to remain current with rapid development of new technology such as genetics, crop protection inputs and state-of-the-art equipment.

Professional farm managers and consultants spend countless hours remaining current so they can provide value added services to their clients. This is accomplished by reading publications, Web sites, attending field days and reviewing agricultural test plots. In fact, a number of farm managers provide a community service by planting and managing test plots on farms they manage, providing valuable information to farmers and landowners within the region.

The information gathered by the professional farm manager/consultant is utilized effectively when working with a farm operator as to the selection of seed, crop protection inputs, fertility programs, as well as the use of site specific technology and modern farming equipment. A strong trust factor is established between farm manager/consultant and farm operator. In many situations, in addition to the managed land, the farm operator will utilize recommendations from the farm manager/consultant on properties which he either owns or farms for other landowners. Most all farm operators also speak with neighbors about what is working and what is not, thus, decisions recommended by the farm manager/consultant are networked and multiplied to a myriad of other producers.

Most of the farm managers consultants know their recommendations are closely watched by the farming community, and they are very cognizant that any missteps regarding a loss of revenue can result in termination of the contract with their land owner. Information, and its reliability, provided by the agri-business industry is extremely important to farm managers / consultants.

Most agri-business companies including seed companies, crop protection companies and equipment companies have designated representatives who primarily work with and provide pertinent information to the farm management/consulting industry. These are excellent relationships and have resulted in a consistently reliable information flow to the farm manager/consultant that can be utilized for the benefit of the farm operator and the farm owner. A win-win situation.

As time goes on, it is predicted the farm and ranch industry will continue to consolidate. Because of this growth, it is our vision that the consulting business will grow at an even a greater pace than the farm management industry. Many of the larger consolidating farmers are, and will be, in need of a specific expertise which the consulting discipline will provide. The ASFMRA provides a designation and continuing education program for its members. The Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) and Accredited Agricultural Consultant (ACC) designations are backed by years of experience, a testing program analogous to the CPA designation. A definite benefit to a potential client.

For quite some time, our consultant members have extended their service into Europe and Latin America. More recently, ASFRMA farm managers are providing services in Brazil and Argentina. My vision is that ASFMRA members through our cutting edge education and designation programs will continue to grow their business on a worldwide basis.

By Ray Brownfield, AFM/ARA, President, ASFMRA

Land Pro LLC, Oswego, IL