History

The American Society of Farm Managers was founded on January 14, 1929, by a core of dedicated farm managers from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri who felt that farm management professionalism was critical to the future of farming. In 1936, the organization was expanded to include appraisers who specialized in determining the value of farms and other rural properties.At that time, the name was changed to the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA).

The basic objective of the ASFMRA is to create and maintain a professionally trained group of farm managers, rural appraisers, review appraisers and accredited agricultural consultants capable of providing expert guidance and assistance to farmland owners, farmers, and other groups which have caretaking responsibilities for farm lands and rural properties.These caretakers include banks, insurance companies, attorneys, accountants, etc.

Farm managers are essential for obtaining, and expanding, all types of returns anticipated and/or expected from the ownership of land.These include financial returns generated annually from rent or crop and livestock production, as well as capital gains from the increasing value of the land. Farm management professionals help owners find farmland to buy, determine its value and manage the day-to-day operations of farm properties to maximize profitable returns.A few of the services provided by the professional farm manager include selection of tenants, record keeping, marketing of crop/livestock, purchasing of seed, pesticides, fertilizer, etc., soil conservation, handling of funds, farm maintenance and others.

Rural appraisers, on the other hand, serve land owners and lenders in providing property valuations upon which lenders, farmers, and investors can base lending or investment decisions.They keep up with today’s ever-changing land values to provide expert estimates and analysis of the market value of improved or unimproved rural real estate.The property’s appraised value is used for sale or purchase, estate or financial planning, lease and rental provisions, loan collateral, tax considerations, and many other applications. Description of the land and improvements, discussion of future use, estimated property value based on probable income, cost to duplicate, and comparison with recently sold properties is included in the information provided by a professional appraiser. Clients include such diverse groups as owners, operators, bankers, lawyers, governmental agencies, and insurance and mortgage companies.