Agricultural Retailers Association

What Agricultural Retailers Association does

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1994 and headquartered at 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700, Arlington, Virginia. It represents US agricultural retailers — businesses that supply crop inputs, agronomic services, and farm management advice to farmers — as well as supplier/manufacturer partners and state/regional affiliate associations. ARA's core functions are regulatory and legislative advocacy (covering pesticide policy under FIFRA, the Farm Bill, transportation and infrastructure, labor including the H-2A guest worker program, trade, and endangered species compliance), professional development (NAVIGATOR 360°, SPARC, ARA Management Academy, Rising Stars, ENGAGE for Ag Leaders), and member services (DC Help Desk, LaborLink workforce solution, ResponsibleAg compliance program, Entry Level Driver Training support, payment processing via KeyBank, and crisis preparedness resources). ARA also operates ARAPAC, its political action committee.

ARA's business model is membership-based: annual dues from member companies, supplemented by revenue from the annual ARA Conference & Expo (600+ attendees), webinars, sponsorship from ag-input majors (notably Bayer Crop Science), and ancillary service fees. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The association scales grassroots advocacy through an annual Legislative Fly-In in Washington DC and maintains active digital channels (website, social media, podcast). Recent strategic activity includes opposing the proposed UP/NS rail merger, supporting USDA's $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program alongside Certified Crop Advisers, and continuing formal partnerships with The Fertilizer Institute, CropLife America, CPDA, and state/regional affiliates. ARA is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors and led by President & CEO Daren Coppock; the organization operates without external ownership or venture backing.

Name

Agricultural Retailers Association

Legal name

Agricultural Retailers Association

Website

https://aradc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1994 that represents US agricultural retailers and affiliated organizations through regulatory advocacy, professional development, and member services including workforce and compliance programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Supply Retail (Independent Dealers) (AFABAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated) (AFABAJAH), Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail (AFABAJAB)

Keywords

• Agricultural retail advocacy
• Trade association services
• Regulatory policy advocacy
• Professional development programs
• Membership association

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing agricultural retailers and affiliated organizations in the United States. It provides regulatory and legislative advocacy in Washington, D.C., professional development programs, compliance tools, workforce solutions, and member services to support agricultural retailers in crop input supply, agronomic services, and farm management.

Product overview

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a trade association serving agricultural retailers, not a traditional product company. ARA offers a portfolio of member services including workforce solutions (LaborLink), professional development programs (ARA NAVIGATOR 360°, SPARC, ARA Management Academy, Rising Stars, ENGAGE for Ag Leaders), compliance tools (ResponsibleAg), operational services (DC Help Desk, Payment Processing, Entry Level Driver Training Support), and advocacy programs (Annual Legislative Fly-In). The association also organizes the annual ARA Conference & Expo and recognizes excellence through the Retailer of the Year Award. ARA members include agricultural retailers and suppliers listed on the member page.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARA Conference & Expo: Annual conference and expo for agricultural retailers featuring educational sessions, networking, and industry awards
• ARA NAVIGATOR 360°
• Rising Stars
• ARAPAC
• LaborLink

Products and services

• ARA Conference & Expo Annual conference and expo bringing together 600+ agricultural retail industry professionals for education, networking, and innovation showcases.
• Annual Legislative Fly-In Annual advocacy event in which ARA members conduct direct meetings with members of Congress and their staff to discuss policy priorities.
• ARA NAVIGATOR 360° Diagnostic feedback instrument that highlights individual leadership development areas for participating leaders at member organizations.
• LaborLink Workforce solution helping ARA members find workers, with particular support for navigating the H-2A guest worker program amid agricultural labor shortages.
• ResponsibleAg Industry-led initiative helping agribusinesses comply with Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security (EHS&S) regulations through audits.
• DC Help Desk Member-only resource for submitting questions about regulatory or legislative issues and receiving support for setting up meetings with members of Congress.
• Entry Level Driver Training Support Service helping members train drivers to meet Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
• Payment Processing Service Card payment processing service offered to members in partnership with KeyBank.
• ARA Management Academy Executive-level management training program for agricultural retail industry professionals.
• SPARC

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected over 120 ARA members with over 130 Congressional offices during March 2026 fly-in
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2025ARA and CCAs support the USDA's $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program aimed at promoting voluntary conservation practices among farmers through trusted farm advisors.
• Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA and Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) jointly support the USDA's $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to promote voluntary conservation practices among farmers. They also collaborate on educational webinars where CCAs can earn CEU credits.
• The Fertilizer Institute (TFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA and TFI announced office co-location to begin in 2021, indicating a close collaborative relationship. They have also issued joint statements on tariffs affecting the fertilizer industry.
• CropLife America (CLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA and CropLife America work together on regulatory advocacy, including ESA workplan resources and pesticide regulatory issues. They collaborate on industry-wide position statements.
• Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA and CPDA co-host educational webinars including the Adjuvant Advantage series for sales agronomists, and collaborate on industry resources for herbicide compliance.
• E15 Rural Domestic Energy CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA participates in a coalition of 12 trade groups representing ethanol producers, petroleum refiners, farmers, and retailers advocating for year-round E15 fuel sales legislation.
• Build America 250 Act CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA supports the bipartisan Build America 250 Act transportation bill focused on supply chain infrastructure including roads, bridges, railways, and freight movement.
• State and Regional Agricultural AssociationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorARA has entered into memoranda of understanding with several state and regional associations to formalize collaborative relationships, share information, attend meetings, and work together on mutual goals.
• Bayer Crop SciencecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBayer Crop Science sponsors the ARA Retailer of the Year Award and The Scoop magazine partnership. VIP dinner with Bayer representatives is part of the Retailer of the Year prize package.
• Tech Hub LIVEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA partners with Tech Hub LIVE Conference & Expo, with special member pricing offered for attendance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: The largest U.S. general farm organization, operating a similar advocacy, policy, and conference model from a broader constituency. ARA often coordinates with Farm Bureau on shared ag-input and Farm Bill priorities.
• National Corn Growers Association (NCGA): Larger commodity-focused agricultural association with a comparable advocacy, professional development, and conference model. Differs in representing grower members rather than retailers, but overlaps on Farm Bill, sustainability, and trade policy work.
• National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA): Nonpartisan association representing state agriculture commissioners and secretaries; works in similar regulatory and policy domains as ARA (pesticide regulation, Farm Bill, transportation, labor) but on the public-sector side.

Direct peers

• The Fertilizer Institute (TFI): National trade association for the fertilizer industry that shares the same advocacy, regulatory engagement, and office co-location model as ARA. Both groups overlap significantly on the ag-input supply chain and co-issue policy statements.
• CropLife America: Trade association representing pesticide and crop protection manufacturers, co-located with ARA in Arlington, VA. Both organizations advocate on pesticide regulation (FIFRA, ESA) and frequently co-issue regulatory positions.
• American Seed Trade Association (ASTA): National trade association for the seed industry covering seed production, distribution, and trait policy. Comparable to ARA as a Washington, DC-based association serving the ag-input supply chain with advocacy and member services.
• Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA): Trade association representing agrotechnology manufacturers and distributors; co-hosts the Adjuvant Advantage webinar series with ARA and collaborates on herbicide compliance resources, making it a closely aligned peer in ag-input regulation.

Regional players

• AgriRetailers Australia / FARMAustralia: Australian trade body for ag input retailers; closely mirrors ARA's membership profile and member services, but operates in a different geography with no direct competitive overlap.
• CropLife International: Global federation of regional crop protection and seed industry associations (parent of CropLife America). Comparable to ARA in mission but operates internationally, providing a global counterpart for international trade and regulatory engagement.

Others

• ResponsibleAg: Industry-led EHS&S compliance audit program for agribusinesses housed within ARA's product portfolio. Comparable as an adjacent industry-funded initiative rather than a competing association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AgRetailers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQWGEDKlhaVF0y_TePvxt4g
• Facebookfacebook.com/AgriculturalRetailersAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agretailers
• Instagraminstagram.com/agretailers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Agricultural Retailers Association