What Illinois Farm Bureau does

Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), legally the Illinois Agricultural Association, is a private not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1912 in DeKalb, Illinois and rebranded under its current name at the state level in 1916. It is the 5th largest state Farm Bureau in the United States and operates as the Illinois affiliate of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The organization is headquartered at 1701 Towanda Avenue in Bloomington, Illinois, and maintains a governance model in which the President and Vice President are full-time farmers elected by the membership. IFB runs a multi-divisional operating structure including Legal Services, Marketing and Communications (FarmWeek, RFD Radio, Partners magazine), Finance, Field & Member Services, Governmental Affairs and Commodities, the Center for Agricultural Engagement, and the Youth Education in Agriculture Committee, alongside wholly-owned subsidiaries IAA Credit Union (formed 1951) and the IAA Foundation.

IFB's service portfolio is built on three pillars: (1) grassroots legislative advocacy at local, state, and federal levels delivered through a 102-county Farm Bureau network, representing approximately three of every four Illinois farmers; (2) trusted agricultural information products including FarmWeek newspaper, FarmWeekNow.com, RFD Radio Network, and Partners magazine; and (3) member benefits and development programs including over 300,000 discounts through the MyIFB member portal, IFB Young Leaders (ages 18–35), Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters at 12 Illinois institutions, Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT), Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC), the IAA Foundation scholarship program, and grant programs in rural development ($120K in 2025-26), nutrient stewardship ($1.75M cumulative since 2015), and pollinator conservation ($165K over five years). 2026 activity has included scaling the Nutrient Stewardship Field Days to 14 events, launching the "Breaking Down Biologicals" educational series with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, advocating for the 45Z clean fuel production credit alongside Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association, and hosting the Lawmakers on Farms Initiative.

IFB's revenue model is membership-dues based, billed annually through county Farm Bureaus, with ancillary revenue from foundation fundraising, grant administration, and affiliated partnerships (notably COUNTRY Financial and the IAA Credit Union). Membership includes approximately 70,000+ farmer/professional voting members and roughly 400,000 total members when associate and supporter members are included. No revenue, dues pricing, or audited financials are publicly disclosed; the organization operates at a 101–250 employee range across the Bloomington home office and county-level management infrastructure. The technology stack is non-proprietary and focused on standard content publishing, member portal delivery (myifb.org), and grassroots advocacy communications tooling rather than software or AI-driven products.

Name

Illinois Farm Bureau

Legal name

Illinois Agricultural Association

Website

https://ilfb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Illinois Farm Bureau is a private not-for-profit membership organization serving approximately 70,000+ Illinois farmers and ~400,000 total members across all 102 state counties, delivering legislative advocacy, agricultural news and radio content, member discounts, leadership development, scholarships, and grant programs through a grassroots county-based network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Advocacy and Member Services

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing) (AFACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG)

Keywords

• Agricultural advocacy
• Farmer membership
• Rural development
• Agricultural education
• Farm news media

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Illinois Farm Bureau operates as a voluntary membership organization. Members pay dues to join county Farm Bureaus and the state organization, gaining access to advocacy representation, agricultural information resources, educational programs, leadership development, and member benefit discounts on products and services including automotive, travel, health, and agricultural equipment.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Illinois Farm Bureau is a voluntary, non-profit membership organization that provides agricultural advocacy, trusted news and information, leadership development, and member benefits to Illinois farmers, farmland owners, and agriculture industry professionals. Core offerings include legislative advocacy at local, state, and federal levels; agricultural news delivered through FarmWeek newspaper, FarmWeekNow.com, RFD Radio Network, and Partners Magazine; over 300,000 member discounts on automotive, travel, health, and farm equipment; and grant, scholarship, and educational programs through the IAA Foundation.

Product overview

Illinois Farm Bureau is a voluntary membership organization offering a unified platform of advocacy, information, and development programs for Illinois farmers. The core offering includes news products (FarmWeek newspaper, FarmWeekNow.com digital platform, RFD Radio Network, Partners Magazine) that deliver agricultural news, market information, and policy updates. The organization provides member benefits including over 300,000 discounts through the MyIFB digital portal. Development programs span leadership (IFB Young Leaders, Collegiate Farm Bureau, ALOT), education (Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom, IAA Foundation scholarships), and community support (Rural Development Grants, Nutrient Stewardship Grants, Pollinator Conservation Grants, Harvest for All). Advocacy tools include IFB ACT for grassroots lobbying. Environmental programs address nutrient stewardship and pollinator conservation. The organization also provides livestock management resources including black vulture depredation permits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FarmWeek Weekly newspaper written for farmers providing timely information on issues, markets, and crop conditions around Illinois. Distributed in both print and digital formats.
• FarmWeekNow.com Digital news platform providing weather forecasts, commodity prices, news stories, and audio and video reports for Illinois farmers.
• RFD Radio Network Radio network producing and broadcasting farm news and market information Monday through Saturday to Illinois farmers.
• Partners Magazine Quarterly magazine informing non-farmer associate members about agriculture, farmers, farm family life, and rural Illinois.
• Member Benefits Program Membership program offering over 300,000 discounts on agriculture, health, travel, and automotive programs through the Illinois Farm Bureau Member Benefit App.
• Rural Development Grant Program Grant program supporting rural development projects that positively impact Farm Bureau members and rural Illinoisans, including community and economic development initiatives. Awarded a record $120,000 in 2025-26 to 30 recipients.
• Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) Educational initiative providing interactive and accurate information about agriculture to thousands of school children and adult consumers through teacher resources and classroom programs.
• MyIFB Member Portal Member portal providing access to membership benefits, discounts, profile management, and member services at myifb.org.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million in scholarships awarded annually through IAA Foundation to agricultural students
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Growth EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Growth Energy, along with the Renewable Fuels Association, welcomed the proposed 45Z clean fuel production credit regulations as a positive step forward for domestic biofuel producers and farmers. The organizations emphasized the importance of finalizing farmer participation details before the 2026 crop planning cycle.
• Renewable Fuels AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Renewable Fuels Association joined Growth Energy in welcoming the proposed 45Z clean fuel production credit regulations. Both organizations advocated for quick finalization of the 45Z-CF GREET model and farmer participation details ahead of the 2026 crop planning cycle.
• COUNTRY FinancialcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026COUNTRY Financial contributed $20,000 to the 2025-26 Rural Development Grants program, bringing total funding to a record $120,000 through a $100,000 investment by Illinois Farm Bureau and $20,000 from COUNTRY Financial. The partnership distributes grants to rural communities across Illinois.
• American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois Farm Bureau is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the unified national voice of agriculture. AFBF organized in 1919 and provides national advocacy coordination for state Farm Bureaus including Illinois.
• University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois Farm Bureau partnered with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to create the 'Breaking Down Biologicals' eight-part educational series exploring biological products and their role in modern agriculture. Connor Sible, a research assistant professor, hosts the series.
• IAA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IAA Foundation is the charitable arm of Illinois Farm Bureau that funds education, research, and activities benefiting Illinois farm families and agriculture. It provides funding for programs such as Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom through fundraising events.
• Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center for Agricultural Engagement manages Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom and Illinois Farm Families partnerships, providing interactive and accurate information about agriculture to thousands of school children and adult consumers each year.
• Illinois FFA ChaptersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois Farm Bureau partners with Illinois FFA Chapters through the Harvest for All program, working together on hunger relief efforts. In 2025, they raised over $233,000 for hunger relief and donated 154,000 pounds of food.
• GROWMARKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGROWMARK is one of the groups whose employees and members can access services through the IAA Credit Union, demonstrating an affiliated relationship within the Farm Bureau family of companies ecosystem.
• U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council (USGBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGBC informed Illinois Farm Bureau members on the Mexico Market Study Tour about ethanol as a potential area for expanded trade between the U.S. and Mexico under USMCA, with Mexico exploring ethanol blending to diversify fuel supplies.
• U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSMEF regional director Gerardo Rodriguez Sanchez briefed Illinois Farm Bureau members on the Mexico Market Study Tour about meat trade relations between the U.S. and Mexico, noting Mexico's heavy reliance on U.S. pork and beef supply.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: The national umbrella organization for which Illinois Farm Bureau is a state affiliate. AFBF provides unified national agricultural advocacy, policy coordination, and member services across all 50 states—directly comparable as a membership-based agricultural advocacy body.
• National Farmers Union: National competing agricultural advocacy organization that also provides member services, policy representation, and education to U.S. farmers—comparable in mission and member-serving activities, though philosophically distinct.

Direct peers

• Iowa Farm Bureau Federation: Direct peer state Farm Bureau organization serving Iowa farmers. Operates the same grassroots membership model across Iowa counties, delivers comparable member benefits, advocacy, news products, and policy representation in a neighboring Corn Belt state.
• Indiana Farm Bureau: Adjacent Midwestern state Farm Bureau with an essentially identical operating model: county-level grassroots structure, member benefits, policy advocacy, and youth education programs serving Indiana farmers.
• Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation: State-level Farm Bureau organization with the same membership-based structure, county affiliate network, and advocacy, education, and benefits offerings for Wisconsin farmers.
• Missouri Farm Bureau: Midwestern state Farm Bureau peer with comparable grassroots membership structure, county bureaus, advocacy programs, and member benefit offerings for Missouri's agricultural community.
• Ohio Farm Bureau Federation: State Farm Bureau peer with a parallel operating model—grassroots county structure, member benefits, legislative advocacy, and youth/leadership programs—serving Ohio farmers.
• Kansas Farm Bureau: Direct peer state Farm Bureau providing grassroots advocacy, member benefits, education, and information services to Kansas farmers through a county-based network.

Others

• GROWMARK: Agricultural cooperative and IFB partner providing farm inputs, services, and member-related financial products. Affiliated relationship within the Illinois Farm Bureau ecosystem with overlapping member base.
• COUNTRY Financial: Insurance and financial services company affiliated with the Illinois Farm Bureau family of companies, co-funding programs like Rural Development Grants. Provides member benefits and shared member base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ILFarmBureau
• Facebookfacebook.com/ILFarmers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-farm-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Farm Bureau