The Purpose of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers is to serve and promote professionalism of those who provide management, consultation services, valuation, and marketing of agricultural resources.
We provide our members with quality education, an exacting code of business ethics, and an opportunity for interaction with professional peers in agriculture.
About ISPFMRA
Profitable agricultural production requires and intimate understanding of farmland, the single most valuable input of most agricultural enterprises. Understanding the complexities of agricultural production and marketing to meet the challenges of the 21st century is a job for specialists. Members of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm manager and Rural Appraisers (ISPFMRA) are specialists who dedicate their efforts to acquiring and enriching their knowledge and skills in order to provide the highest quality agricultural management, appraisal, and consulting services.
The ISPFMRA is one of 37 Chapters of the American Society of Farm Managers and rural Appraisers. The Chapter, founded in 1928, is the oldest and largest state organization of its kind in the United States. Members are professional persons devoted to the management and appraisal of rural property and agricultural consulting.
General Objectives and Purposes
- promote professional management and appraisal of rural property and agricultural consulting
- provide for the exchange of ideas and the improvement of the profession of farm management, rural appraisal, and agricultural consulting
- maintain a code of business and professional ethics designed to protect owners and clients and to promote sounds business practices.
Activities
- educational courses and seminars
- courses and tours for members to learn about new agricultural producation and marketing practices
- an annual meeting to help farm managers, rural appraisers, and agricultural consultants improve their abilities in the profession
- publishing a newsletter
- sponsoring award programs to recognize persons in the profession and in agriculture for their accomplishments
Code of Ethics
All professional farm managers, rural appraisers, and consultants must meet standards of education, training, and experience as established by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Members operate under a strict code of ethics and standards of professional practice that establish minimum standards of conduct for each member and to which each member agrees to be held accountable.
Continuing Education
All professional and accredited members must participate in a mandatory continuing education program of the American Society. An accredited or professional member must accumulate 60 hours of continuing education during a consecutive three-year period. Other members are encouraged to participate in continuing education events.