National Association of County Agricultural Agents

What National Association of County Agricultural Agents does

The National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) is a US-based nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1915, headquartered in Maroa, Illinois, serving County Agricultural Agents and extension specialists with agriculture-related Cooperative Extension appointments. The organization operates as the primary national professional body for this workforce, providing networking, continuing education, public-policy representation, and recognition programs. NACAA delivers its services through a portfolio of programs including The County Agent (a bimonthly member magazine), the NACAA 365 webinar series, the peer-reviewed Journal of NACAA, the SARE Fellows scholarship program (co-sponsored with USDA-SARE), the annual AM/PIC conference (with published multi-year locations through 2029), the JCEP Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, the Outstanding Young Farmer awards program, and a Distinguished Service Award / Achievement Award / Hall of Fame recognition suite.

The underlying technology footprint is modest: a public website, a WordPress-based blog (The NACAA e-County Agent), Facebook and Twitter social channels, an online member database, and bimonthly publication distribution. There is no app, no public API, and no disclosed proprietary technology products.

Revenue mechanics rely on annual membership dues (stated at $50/year as of 2008, collected via state associations), conference registration fees (such as PILD at $515-$615), corporate sponsorship income from a roster of agriculture and lifestyle brands (Bayer Crop Science, Farm Credit, National Pork Board, Barenbrug USA, AARP, Pipeline Ag, American Income, Exploration by Thor, and the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center), and donations to the NACAA Educational Foundation 501(c)(3). NACAA's distribution model is member-based and channeled through state associations across the United States, with strategic alignment maintained through JCEP, USDA-NIFA, APLU, and ECOP partnerships.

Name

National Association of County Agricultural Agents

Legal name

National Association of County Agricultural Agents

Website

https://nacaa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NACAA is a 110-year-old US nonprofit professional association serving County Agricultural Agents in the Cooperative Extension system through publications, conferences, webinars, scholarships, and awards programs, funded by membership dues, sponsorships, and conference fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Agricultural Extension Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

Keywords

• Agricultural extension education
• Professional association services
• Continuing education programming
• Cooperative extension network
• Agriculture professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Maroa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NACAA is a professional association for County Agricultural Agents that delivers professional development, networking, recognition, and continuing education services. Its core offerings include the bimonthly magazine "The County Agent," the NACAA 365 Webinar Series, the annual AM/PIC conference, the peer-reviewed Journal of NACAA, awards programs (Distinguished Service Award, Achievement Award, Hall of Fame), and the SARE Fellows scholarship program. The primary deliverable is membership-supported access to educational programming, peer networks, and awards programs for Extension agents across the United States.

Product overview

NACAA is a professional association for County Agricultural Agents offering a portfolio of member services and programs including The County Agent Magazine (bimonthly publication), the NACAA 365 Webinar Series (virtual professional development), annual AM/PIC conferences, the Journal of NACAA (peer-reviewed academic publication), a member database system, the SARE Fellows scholarship program, JCEP PILD conferences, and the Outstanding Young Farmer awards program. These offerings collectively support the professional development and networking needs of extension agents nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The County Agent: The official magazine of NACAA published for members
• NACAA 365
• AM/PIC
• NACAA Educational Foundation

Products and services

• The County Agent Magazine The official bimonthly publication of NACAA containing articles on agriculture, extension work, award information, and professional development content distributed to members.
• NACAA 365 Webinar Series Virtual webinar programming offering continuing education sessions on topics including agriculture policy, farm bill updates, crop insurance, and horticultural topics for extension professionals.
• AM/PIC (Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference) Annual professional improvement conference bringing together county agricultural agents for educational sessions, committee meetings, awards programs, and networking. Locations include Denver (2026), St. Paul (2027), Atlanta (2028), and Hershey (2029).
• Journal of NACAA Peer-reviewed academic journal publishing research and scholarship related to extension work and agricultural education.
• SARE Fellows Program Two-year educational program sponsored by USDA-SARE and NACAA, selecting four NACAA members annually (one per region) to travel across the country learning about sustainable agriculture.
• JCEP Public Issues Leadership Development Conference (PILD) Annual conference held in Washington DC focused on public issues leadership, featuring sessions with USDA-NIFA, APLU, ECOP, and Capitol Hill visits. Registration: $515 early-bird, $615 late.
• Outstanding Young Farmer Program National awards program sponsored by Deere & Company, supported by Outstanding Farmers of America Fraternity, and administered by U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce to recognize outstanding young farmers.
• Distinguished Service Award National awards program recognizing excellence among NACAA members in Cooperative Extension service.
• Achievement Award National awards program recognizing excellence among NACAA members with fewer years of experience in Cooperative Extension.
• Hall of Fame Award National awards program recognizing the highest level of distinguished service and lifetime achievement by NACAA members.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Bayer Crop ScienceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• Farm CreditminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• Pipeline AgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA through Pipeline Ag Safety Alliance. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• Exploration by ThorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• American IncomeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• National Pork BoardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• Barenbrug USAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• Southern Extension Risk Management Education (SRMEC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• AARPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of NACAA. Listed among national sponsors on the NACAA website.
• Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACAA is a member of JCEP, which organizes the annual Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) Conference and other joint Extension professional development initiatives. JCEP connects Extension professionals from multiple national associations.
• USDA-NIFAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal funding partner for Extension. Representatives from USDA-NIFA participate in JCEP PILD Conference and other Extension events. NACAA members interact with NIFA program leaders.
• Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPLU leadership participates in JCEP PILD Conference. ECOP (Extension Committee on Organization and Policy) representatives also attend, representing the broader Extension system.
• USDA-SAREmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program co-sponsors the SARE Fellows Program with NACAA. Four NACAA members are selected annually (one per region) for a two-year fellowship involving farm visits across different regions of the country.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: Farm Bureau is the largest US general agriculture membership organization with significantly broader scope than NACAA. It overlaps with NACAA on county-level agricultural networking, advocacy, and engagement with the same Cooperative Extension ecosystem.
• National FFA Organization: FFA is the largest US agricultural education membership organization, serving middle/high school and collegiate students. While broader in scope and younger demographic, it operates in adjacent agricultural education territory with conferences, publications, and sponsorships.
• Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU): APLU represents public universities and land-grant institutions that employ extension professionals. APLU's Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) is a direct counterpart to NACAA in extension governance.
• National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA): NASDA represents state agriculture departments that coordinate with Cooperative Extension. It overlaps with NACAA on policy advocacy and public issues leadership relevant to agricultural professionals.
• National Association of Counties (NACo): NACo is the national membership organization representing US county governments. NACAA's county agricultural agents work within county government structures, making NACo a structurally analogous membership association at a broader jurisdictional level.

Regional players

• National Farmers Union (NFU): NFU is a US-based farm advocacy and education organization with a comparable member-engagement model including conventions, publications, and education programs. It serves farmers rather than extension agents but competes for similar agricultural sponsor attention.

Direct peers

• Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP): JCEP is the umbrella council of which NACAA is a member, coordinating joint programming including the annual PILD Conference. It is the most direct institutional peer, providing cross-association collaboration for extension professionals.
• National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA): NAE4-HA is the direct peer organization for 4-H Youth Development Extension agents within the Cooperative Extension system. It mirrors NACAA's structure, membership model, and JCEP affiliation, serving an adjacent but distinct extension profession.
• Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP): ESP is the national honor society for Extension professionals, sharing NACAA's Cooperative Extension audience and mission of professional development, recognition, and networking within the same federal extension ecosystem.
• National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE): NAAE serves agricultural educators in secondary and postsecondary settings rather than extension agents, but addresses overlapping themes of agricultural education, professional development, awards programs, and curriculum resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/nacaa
• Xx.com/agagents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Association of County Agricultural Agents