Kansas City, Mo., (Dec. 15, 2025) – Farm Journal has announced three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Top Producer of the Year Award, honoring some of the most progressive and successful farm operations in the country. The winner and finalists will be formally recognized at the 2026 Top Producer Summit, agriculture’s premier executive-level conference for elite farmers and ranchers, which is set for Feb. 9-11 in Nashville, Tenn. Also presented at the event will be the Next Generation Award and Women in Agriculture Award.

“The Top Producer Awards celebrate operations that are building resilient, innovative and future-focused businesses,” said Margy Eckelkamp, brand leader of Top Producer. “These finalists and award winners represent the very best of modern agriculture: strong family leadership, diversification, technology adoption and an unwavering commitment to excellence.”

2026 Top Producer of the Year Award Finalists:

Alsum Farms, Friesland, Wis. – A multigenerational family operation producing potatoes, pumpkins, hay, alfalfa and other rotational crops across more than 3,600 acres. The business is fully vertically integrated, overseeing production, packing and marketing. Leadership spans generations with the founder serving as CEO since 1981 now working alongside his two daughters who hold leadership roles in the business.

Dalton Farms, Wakeman, Ohio – A seventh-generation family farm led by Rebecca and Edward Dalton. The operation includes 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans, a 400-head cattle herd with direct-to-consumer beef sales and a growing on-farm market offering locally-sourced chicken, pork and maple syrup. Their story reflects both diversification and successful generational transition following a family split in the 1990s.

Splitter Farms, Sterling, Kan. – Led by Matt and Janna Splitter, this Kansas row-crop operation spans 1,400 owned acres with nearly 18,500 acres farmed annually through cash rent and custom work. After the sudden passing of Matt’s father in 2010, the couple returned to the farm and scaled the business using data-driven decision-making, strong landowner relationships and disciplined business management. Notably, this marks the first time a previous Next Generation Award winner has advanced to a Top Producer of the Year finalist.

The 2026 Top Producer of the Year award is sponsored by BASF and Fendt.

2026 Next Generation Award Winner

Tim Nuss, El Dorado Hills/Lodi, Calif., is the 2026 Next Gen Award winner. Nuss farms garlic, tomatoes, peppers, melons, herbs, pumpkins, cucumbers and grains with his father and brother while also building a powerful off-farm ag influencing business. He serves as CFO of Polaris Energy Services, an ag tech irrigation company, hosts the “Modern Acre” podcast, and recently co-launched AgList, an online biologicals review and ratings platform designed to bring transparency to the ag inputs marketplace.

The 2026 Next Generation Award is sponsored by Pioneer and Fendt.

2026 Women in Agriculture Award Winner

Helle Ruddenklau, Amity, Ore., is the 2026 Women in Ag Award winner. Ruddenklau farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, growing grass seed, wheat, vegetables, peas and hazelnuts. Originally from Denmark, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 15, later meeting her husband, Bruce, while on an exchange program in New Zealand. In addition to serving as CFO of their farming operation, she is deeply involved in ag advocacy and economic development, working through organizations such as Oregon AgriWomen, AgLaunch and SEDCOR to strengthen regional agriculture through supplier and industry partnerships.

The 2026 Women in Agriculture Award is sponsored by Pro Farmer.

All finalists and award winners will be recognized on stage for their excellence in the business of farming at the 2026 Top Producer Summit, where the nation’s best producers gather to advance leadership, management, technology adoption and succession planning in agriculture. Learn more about Top Producer Summit and Top Producer of the Year awards at tpsummit.com.

About Farm Journal

Farm Journal is the nation’s leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. The company serves the row crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, eNewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; live events including conferences and tradeshows; nationally broadcast television and radio programs; and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal owns the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. Trust In Food is a Farm Journal initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of conservation practices and regenerative agriculture in ways that work for producers and enhance connection to consumers. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.

The post Farm Journal Announces 2026 Top Producer Award Finalists appeared first on Farm Journal.

Agriculture is in one of its most consequential periods in decades. Today’s farm economy is under prolonged financial strain that is reshaping how growers make decisions, a moment economists describe as “not a collapse, but a grind.” (AgWeb) In this environment, the rules for marketers and sellers are changing fast. These are not short-lived trends or cyclical headwinds. They are structural shifts redefining who buys, how they buy and what they expect from the partners they trust. 

Winning in this environment requires more than campaigns or product expertise. It requires clarity on the forces shaping producer behavior and confidence in engaging ag buying groups that increasingly look and act like enterprise organizations.

Below are the three forces every ag supplier, manufacturer and service provider must navigate, and the specific actions marketers and sellers should take to strengthen relationships, increase discoverability and win business in today’s market.

In this environment, marketers need clarity, data and intelligence to navigate what comes next.

Inside the Reality of Today’s Farm Operation

To understand how quickly agriculture is changing, picture a modern farm. In one season, the family is watching cattle prices climb, grain prices soften and input costs shift. A decision in the cow herd affects whether they invest in a new sprayer. A change in grain markets influences what technology they buy next. These cross-pressures are becoming the norm as operations diversify and become more complex.

Consolidation is also accelerating. Larger operations are taking on more acres and greater responsibilities, while consumers are demanding greater transparency and trust in the food chain. Every part of agriculture influences another. What happens in the field affects the supply chain, and what happens in the supply chain shapes decisions back on the farm. Agriculture now functions as a single ecosystem, not a collection of separate markets.

With this new reality, ag sales and marketers must adapt their strategies, understand the mindset, needs and operations of each farm and evolve the programs and tactics they use to generate and expand relationships and revenue.

1. Consolidation Is Changing Who Influences and Makes Decisions 

Farms are consolidating and the direction of the industry is unmistakable. Scale is a priority for success, as 500+- and 1,000+-acre growers continue to expand their footprint and influence. The data support what we already see happening in the field. Average farm size is increasing, the total number of farms is going down and a small group of operations now generate the majority of U.S. farm revenue. 

With nearly 300 million acres set to transition in the next two decades (American Farmland Trust) it is essential to understand who will be operating that land and influencing the decisions about the providers and suppliers they work with. Large-scale growers are driving consolidation and they will hold even more buying power in the years ahead.

For ag marketers, this level of consolidation means your customers have greater buying power and make decisions in very different ways. More and more, Farms are less like small owner-operated units with one person calling the shots. Instead, they look more like enterprise organizations with roles, operating budgets and internal stakeholders who all shape the purchase process. CEOs, herd and crop managers, agronomists, nutritionists, veterinarians, financial officers and trusted advisors are now at the buying table. Your audience is no longer a single farmer. It is an entire ecosystem where each operation represents major acreage, multiple product categories and significant annual spend.

 How Consolidation Changes the Playbook for Ag Marketing and Sales

This shift requires moving from speaking to a single decision-maker to understanding the complete decision environment. Farms rely on multiple roles, each with its own priorities and biases that influence outcomes. Messaging must align to these roles, insight must reflect how modern operations actually run and data must go deeper than past assumptions. Broad rural targeting wastes investment by missing much of the buying group that can drive growth, and channel messaging that does not match producer needs leaves out influential voices in that group. Content that is not built for online research, with clear summaries and data points, will not move through internal meetings where choices are made. In this environment, the brands that refine their data, strengthen their messaging and create content that is easy to use across the buying group will gain meaningful ground.

2. AI Isn’t Replacing Marketers. But It Is Raising Expectations.

AI has made information abundant and instantly accessible. Farmers, suppliers, dealers and food companies can prompt a tool and generate content, comparisons or recommendations in seconds. This creates a common misconception that expertise is no longer required. In reality, AI is only as reliable as the quality of the information and data behind it, and that is precisely where ag suppliers can lead.

Here are recent cross-industry collaborations that are helping accelerate AI adoption in agriculture:

• Land O’Lakes and Microsoft partner to accelerate AI innovation in agriculture
• WinField United Deploys Artificial Intelligence To Improve Its Agronomic Adviser Retention
• Microsoft and Bayer Aim To Accelerate and Unlock Digital Agriculture

Your advantage in an AI-assisted world is trust. Buyers can quickly tell the difference between generic answers and insight grounded in real conditions, real performance and real outcomes. You are no longer competing with the volume of AI-generated content. You are competing on the credibility of your data, the usefulness of your insight and the speed at which you help buyers cut through noise.

Your role is to anticipate and answer the buying group’s questions based on their needs, biases and decision criteria, not just your products. This level of relevance is what sets trusted suppliers apart.

Why Credibility and Expertise Matter More in an AI-Driven Market

As AI reshapes how information is created and consumed, your expertise must be easy to find. This shift raises new expectations for every marketer and seller, because AI can only perform as well as the data on which it is trained. Any gaps in your understanding of the operation put your brand at an immediate disadvantage, and content that is not present on authoritative sites with strong AI-driven engine increases the likelihood that buyers receive answers built from competitor data rather than your own. Strong discoverability across search answer engines, audience targeting and location-based strategies keep your brand in front of buyers who are already seeking solutions. When trusted data, human expertise and discoverability work together, brands do not lose relevance in an AI-driven landscape but strengthen their position within it.

3. Regenerative Agriculture Is Becoming a Business Mandate

Regenerative agriculture has moved into the center of business strategy for ag operators and owners because consumer expectations, food company commitments and climate volatility now converge at the farm gate. It is driven by consumer demand, supply chain pressure and the need for long-term resilience. Consumers want confidence in the food they buy, and food companies are responding with measurable targets that shift expectations back to the farm.

The stakes behind these expectations are rising. A 2021 survey from Interos found that the average cost of a supply disruption in U.S. companies is $ 228 million per event, well above the global average of $ 184 million. These disruptions include extreme weather, climate shocks and supply instability, all of which affect agriculture more than most industries. When a single event can carry this kind of cost, regenerative practices become a tool for risk management and business continuity.

For producers, regenerative programs offer new income streams and potential market advantages, but the landscape can be confusing. Requirements change often, verification is complex and programs vary widely. Trusted advisors help farmers identify which programs fit their operation and where the actual value lies. This is also where precise comparative data becomes powerful. Vendors that provide information showing how specific practices improve soil compaction, water utilization, stand counts or livestock performance gain a meaningful advantage in both marketing and sales conversations.

How Regenerative Expectations Are Reshaping Decisions Across the Value Chain

You can simplify a crowded regenerative landscape and show how sustainability connects consumer expectations, food company requirements and farm-level opportunity. Producers want clarity and value, and everyone wants trusted data that proves what works. Every input, animal health and technology company is now competing with food companies for the same limited capacity that farmers have to change practices. At the same time, rising input costs and softening commodity prices mean producers are spending less time on yield maximization and more time identifying practices that reduce financial risk. The brands that win will be the ones that make regenerative agriculture understandable, credible and clearly linked to business performance across the value chain.

Today’s Ag Market Demands Clear Insight and Trusted Expertise

Across the entire ag value chain, the expectations for ag suppliers and providers are rising. Farmers and producers are making decisions that are more data-driven, collaborative and accountable, and they must balance speed with quality as they determine when, what and how to invest. Providers and suppliers are selling into buying groups that include trusted advisors, family members and business stakeholders. Winning in this environment requires four priorities that match how modern producers search, evaluate and decide:

1. Strong discoverability to make the consideration list, win early
Your brand must be easy to find, understand and validate because buyers build their lists fast. Search behavior, social signals and AI tools all rely on structured information and clear value messaging. If your content is not present, accurate and optimized, you are simply not in the running.

2. Data-backed insight included in your content and communications
Producers want clarity they can trust because every decision carries operational and financial risk. Proof points, comparisons and performance data help buyers evaluate options with confidence. This reduces uncertainty and positions your brand as the safer, smarter choice.

3. Multi-channel presence and consistency to increase your solution visibility
Buyers move between broadcast, digital, streaming, social and in-field conversations and they expect the same message everywhere. A steady, unified presence reinforces who you are and what you stand for. It keeps your brand top of mind when decisions are made.

4. Human-centered trust to engage and make a meaningful connection
With AI generating more content than ever, credibility is the differentiator. Producers respond to real expertise, operational context and an authentic understanding of their challenges. Showing that you genuinely understand their world builds trust that no algorithm can replace.

Your role is increasingly strategic as you help customers navigate complexity with trusted information and a full view of the decision environment. Ag sellers and marketers cannot control the forces reshaping agriculture, but they can align with them.

The post The Three Market Forces Reshaping Agriculture Sales and Marketing appeared first on Farm Journal.

The Business Innovation Award recognizes ag retailers who demonstrate digital transformation in their business. These include outstanding examples of how ag retailers are taking their enterprise resource planning, agronomics and business data to elevate customer service and build a sustainable business. The award is presented to a single ag retail location and its team in the U.S.

“Especially in volatile economic times, farmers need partners they can rely on, and increasingly, technology is fortifying how those relationships grow,” said Margy Eckelkamp, editor of The Scoop. “With greater transparency, real-time data sharing and easy-to-use communication tools, retailers such as Five Star Cooperative are rewriting the playbook for being a business in which it is easy to do business.”

Five Star Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural supply cooperative that serves rural communities across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. Their client base includes individual farmers and farms of all sizes, providing quality products, expert service and a commitment to long-term success for each and every member. One of the paths to that success is Operation Easy, an implementation of internal processes to increase efficiency and improve every aspect of the customer experience for the farmer.

“Digital innovation at Five Star Cooperative isn’t about adopting technology for technology’s sake, it’s about listening to our members and responding with real solutions that make their day easier,” said Scott Black, CEO of Five Star Cooperative. “Operation Easy gave us direct, honest customer feedback, and our team used that input to build tools that improve transparency, access and the overall experience of doing business with us. Receiving the Business Innovation Award from The Scoop is a meaningful recognition of that work, but the true reward is hearing from our farmers and team members that these tools are making a difference. This is only the beginning of where we’re headed.”

Learn more about Five Star Cooperative.

“Digital transformation isn’t about replacing the fundamentals of ag retail; it’s about protecting them,” said Alexander Reichert, CEO at AgVend. “The retailers leading this industry forward are modernizing their business to give their teams more time, more clarity and more capacity to serve their growers, especially when markets turn. Innovation isn’t a luxury in tough cycles; it’s how great retailers stay resilient, aligned and relentlessly focused on their customers.” 

About Farm Journal

Farm Journal is the nation’s leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. The company serves the row crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, eNewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; live events including conferences and tradeshows; nationally broadcast television and radio programs; and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal owns the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. Trust In Food is a Farm Journal initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of conservation practices and regenerative agriculture in ways that work for producers and enhance connection to consumers. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.

The post Five Star Cooperative Wins The Scoop’s Business Innovation Award appeared first on Farm Journal.

In a recent Farm Country Update session, Candace Bergesch (Director of Data Insights) and Casey Seymour (VP of Machinery) broke down thousands of producer records to reveal who’s really driving equipment demand in 2025.

The Consolidation Index: Spotting Growth Before It Happens

Farm Journal’s predictive model (Consolidation Index) segments producers into three categories — Growing, Maintaining, and At-Risk of Consolidation — based on their present risk factors around consolidation.

• Producers on Growing operations are actively more likely to be ready to invest in newer, high-capacity equipment.
• Producers who have Maintaining operations are focused on replacing and maintaining existing machinery and ensuring the longevity of their farm without significant growth.
• Producers At-Risk of Consolidation are more likely to be interested in replacement parts and maintaining existing machinery rather than upgrades and may be looking for an auction partner to offload equipment.

The session shows how data can be used to identify which bucket your prospects fall into, down to the territory, county, or individual level to be able to better serve their needs.

A Taste of What the Data Shows

• Size Matters: Size Matters: As row crop operations scale up, their consolidation risk falls fast — and the majority of 500+ acre farms land in the “growing” category.
• Shopping surprises: Drills are currently outpacing planters in research activity, challenging even seasoned dealers’ expectations.

The session also covers other critical insights, including technology adoption, brand loyalty trends, and what buyers are focused on in the market right now.

Bonus Insight: What Dealers Told Us Matters Most

We polled attendees on the intelligence they rely on most when evaluating a buyer. Here’s their top 4 categories:

• Predicted next-purchase timing – 20.8%
• Trade-in frequency – 20.8%
• Ag production type – 16.7%
• Age of machinery at purchase – 16.7%
  

The takeaway is simple:
You don’t want fluff. You want signals that point to intent.

Opportunity to Connect with the Prospects That Actually Buy

Casey calls this out directly:
Combine your customer history with Farm Journal’s data, and you can predict next-purchase timing and preferred make.
That trims a bloated CRM list into a short, actionable call list your sales team can actually act on.

Watch the Full Session to See the Data in Action

This session includes:

• State-level mapping showing where growing operations are concentrated
• Examples of how top dealers are using these insights to refine territory strategy and inventory allocation
• Live demonstration of the Consolidation Index via Farm Journal’s Dynamic Profile Dashboard Tool and Strategic Advisor Tool

Watch the full session now to see the data in action.

Have questions about applying this intelligence to your market? Contact: talktoanexpert@farmjournal.com

The post Your Next Big Customer Isn’t Guesswork. Clues Are in the Data appeared first on Farm Journal.

Across two days of presentations and discussions, a shared theme emerged. The way people discover and consume content is changing fast. Algorithms prioritize different signals. Younger audiences find products in different places. And brands need a more thoughtful approach if they want their digital investments to produce meaningful results.

These conversations revealed how quickly digital strategy is shifting and why certain practices matter now more than ever. In the sections below I share five key strategies and insights from the Summit. Together they offer a practical roadmap to strengthen digital performance and help your content work harder across every channel.

Content Has Become the Product

Speakers repeatedly returned to the same idea. Content is not a promotion tool. It is the product. Platforms now recommend material based on a user’s interests, not just because it comes from an account the user follows. That change means content must be built to stand on its own and hold attention long enough to build trust.

Long-form content plays a growing role in this environment. It behaves more like a show with recurring characters and storylines that encourage the audience to return. When brands treat content like programming, they create a reason for people to stay and participate.

“Content that delivers value on its own becomes the engine that drives discovery.”

This mindset reframes how teams plan, produce and measure digital work.

AI Extends the Impact of Long Form Content

Many sessions focused on practical ways to use AI to extend the reach and value of long-form content. When a brand invests time and money into a large piece of content, AI can turn that asset into many smaller pieces tailored for different audiences and different platforms.

A single video can become short social clips, trimmed versions for email or new openings designed for younger viewers. A long article can be broken into search-optimized pieces or content crafted for AI discovery tools. This approach reduces production load and increases consistency across channels.

AI does not replace the original creative work. It helps the work travel farther.

Audience Growth Requires a Layered Strategy

A significant theme throughout the Summit was the need to understand audiences in layers. Social platforms represent people you do not yet have in your audience.. They serve as the awareness layer. Once an audience enters your first-party system through email or direct engagement, you can build a deeper connection. The smallest group includes those who choose to buy or subscribe. They are the most engaged and the most influential.

Each layer requires a different type of content and a distinct set of expectations. Moving someone from awareness to ownership and from ownership to conversion does not happen by accident. It requires a clearly defined content rhythm and intentional communication.

“Treating every audience the same limits growth. Understanding the layers unlocks it.”

This helps brands create experiences that meet people where they are rather than pushing the same message everywhere.

Brand Value Must Come Before the Sale

Speakers also emphasized that modern content must build value long before a sale. Trust is earned through voice, tone, and honest communication. When brands respond in ways that align with their identity and avoid templated replies, the audience sees them as honest and credible.

This approach is not only stronger, but it is also more efficient. Content marketing costs 62% less and generates three times the number of leads which is why brands that invest in value-driven content see better long-term performance.

This matters more than ever. 71%  of Gen Z and 51% of Millennials discover new products directly on social platforms. That means the everyday content stream is not background activity. It is the first impression. It is the storefront.

If content reinforces who the brand is and what it stands for, people are more likely to remember it when they reach a decision point.

Expanding Where Audiences Find You

The Summit also highlighted the importance of widening distribution strategies. Facebook remains a leader in impressions and TikTok excels at discovery, but brands that rely only on these channels leave opportunities on the table.

Some brands now build communities on Discord or host fan-focused events. Others use their websites as story hubs where customers share experiences. Many are embracing “Organish” amplification by taking strong organic posts and boosting them lightly for expanded reach. Some test creative in different geographic regions rather than splitting a single audience which leads to clearer performance insights.

These approaches help brands meet audiences where they already spend time and create more touchpoints that build familiarity and engagement.

A Clear Path for Stronger Digital Performance

Digital performance grows when brands invest in stronger content foundations and more intentional audience strategies. Success comes from content that carries its own value, AI tools that extend the life of every asset, precise movement across audience layers, a brand voice that feels human and a broader approach to distribution.

My takeaway: The brands that commit to these practices will not just reach more people. They will create content ecosystems that stay relevant as the digital landscape continues to evolve.

The post Digital Media Summit 2025: Shifting Strategies in a Changing Digital Landscape appeared first on Farm Journal.

The new research was presented to nearly 500 dairy producers and industry stakeholders at Farm Journal’s MILK Business Conference today in Las Vegas, igniting a dialogue around the need for better on-farm planning, training, resources and the integration of technology related to biosecurity.

“By embracing the data and insights unveiled, we can drive meaningful conversation and change, and elevate the overall standards of biosecurity across the industry,” said Karen Bohnert, Farm Journal’s dairy editorial director.

The survey reveals that, even among farms with established biosecurity strategies, commitment to reviewing and adapting these plans is lacking. While 68% of farmers with at least 250 dairy cows report having a biosecurity plan, 34% admit they do not review their plans regularly. Although, 72% of dairy operators with more than 250-plus cows report making improvements to their biosecurity plan compared with 58% of smaller dairy operators.

The survey also uncovers significant gaps in fundamental farm security. More than 20% of surveyed dairies neglect to secure access to barns and animal housing. Additionally, 38% fail to control or limit access to areas where feed is stored or provided. This is a notable vulnerability due to the possible exposure to birds and other wildlife in addition to human contact. Visitor access monitoring is also a blind spot for 16% of producers, and only 33% of producers use camera surveillance to oversee their facilities.

Additional survey results showed:

• Only 72% of larger dairy operations have handwashing stations as a part of their biosecurity protocol.
• Just 75% of farms surveyed use separate equipment for handling feed and manure.
• More than half of respondents use technology, such as herd activity monitoring systems, to help identify sick animals.
• Just 32% of farms provide training only in response to biosecurity issues, showing a reactive approach to biosecurity.
• Only 30% conduct quarterly meetings with their farm teams, showing a lack of consistent, proactive staff education.
• Only 29% of farmers have collaborated with cybersecurity experts to protect their farm systems and data.

This research serves as a timely reminder that biosecurity and cybersecurity are not one-time tasks, but dynamic, ongoing processes demanding continuous review and proactive management. By embracing this mindset and diligently addressing these crucial areas, dairy producers can fortify their operations, safeguard their herds and secure a resilient future in an increasingly complex and evolving industry. Reviewing existing plans and improving one practice or securing one area can make a big difference in the biosecurity of a dairy.

Read the full story about Farm Journal’s biosecurity research here.

About Farm Journal

Farm Journal is the nation’s leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. The company serves the row crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, eNewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; live events including conferences and tradeshows; nationally broadcast television and radio programs; and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal owns the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. Trust In Food is a Farm Journal initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of conservation practices and regenerative agriculture in ways that work for producers and enhance connection to consumers. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.

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The problem isn’t that co-op marketing has lost value; it’s that the model hasn’t evolved with modern marketing expectations. As a result, co-op dollars go unused or are wasted due to inefficiency and ineffectiveness. For ag marketers working to prove ROI and maximize budget efficiency, co-op programs need a reset: more transparent structure, digital tools, shared accountability and measurable results.

When executed strategically, co-op funding can do more than build brand awareness. It can strengthen dealer relationships, drive preference and differentiation, and improve measurable sales performance.    

Note: Co-op programs can be executed across a range of channel partners, including dealers, retailers, distributors or input suppliers. Throughout this article, we use the term “dealer” to represent all such partners for clarity and consistency.

1. Set Clear Objectives, Requirements and KPIs

For years, co-op dollars were spent on community sponsorships, small newspaper ads or event giveaways, efforts that built goodwill but lacked measurable impact and clear use of co-op funds. In 2026, that’s no longer enough.

Successful programs now define clear goals from the start such as click-through rates, engagement, lead generation or sales impact and tie them to transparent KPIs. Shared dashboards let both brands and dealers see results in real time and adjust on the fly. With resources like Farm Journal’s Ad Insights Tool, marketers can track performance across every touchpoint and identify which tactics deliver the highest ROI. This kind of visibility transforms co-op from a static budget to a dynamic performance driver.

The most effective programs function as partnerships, not transactions. Both brands and dealers have skin in the game and visibility into the outcomes. By aligning on performance metrics and shared reporting, both sides gain the insight needed to refine creative, shift budgets and scale what’s working. This transparency builds trust, encourages participation and transforms co-op from a “use it or lose it” fund into a shared growth opportunity.

3. Define and Ensure Clear Performance Parameters

Modern co-op programs are shifting from entitlement to accountability. Instead of automatically allocating funds, leading brands are linking participation to measurable performance. Dealers that activate campaigns and deliver proven results earn greater support while inactive or inconsistent partners risk losing future eligibility.

Defining clear performance parameters ensures everyone knows what success looks like. Programs should establish specific goals such as engagement, lead generation or sales lift and require consistent reporting to verify outcomes. This clarity helps both brands and dealers invest funds strategically and adjust tactics based on real performance data.

4. Develop Simple, Clear Program Guidelines

When guidelines are clear, workflows are streamlined and assets are easy to access, dealer participation rises. Simplified, technology-enabled systems reduce friction, accelerate approvals and help both brands and dealers achieve measurable results from every marketing dollar.

5. Localize Your Program for Greater Impact

Local dealers know their markets better than anyone, and that local insight is one of co-op’s most significant advantages. Yet many programs fail because they don’t give partners the flexibility to adapt messaging and program elements to account for local realities.

Editable, brand-approved templates allow dealers to highlight regional crops, local testimonials or field events while maintaining brand consistency. Providing plug-and-play creative assets, digital training and co-branded playbooks empowers partners to execute confidently. Producers connect with familiar faces, not faceless campaigns, local storytelling builds trust, credibility and performance.

The Future of Co-Op: Digital, Data-Driven and Measurable

Today’s co-op marketing will be defined by transparency and technology. Digital targeting and automation now make it possible to see exactly how each campaign performs from impression to conversion. Brands and dealers can share data, track regional trends and collaborate on strategy in real time.

A growing number of manufacturers are already making this shift. For example, KIOTI has a Co-op Advertising Program that enables dealers to earn accrual funds equal to 2% of prior-year purchases, with reimbursement available for both traditional and digital advertising. Dealers are encouraged to invest in online campaigns, social media and video promotions that can be tracked for engagement, leads and conversions, turning what used to be a static reimbursement model into a performance-driven partnership.

(Co>Op Connect, 2024)

Leading ag marketers are also rethinking creative. Instead of one-size-fits-all assets, they’re co-developing local content, short videos, case studies and on-farm demonstrations that show product value. These stories connect national branding with community trust, creating the balance every marketer is striving for.

Most importantly, measurement is no longer optional. Every funded effort should have traceable outcomes tied to KPIs. As technology bridges the gap between visibility and sales data, marketers can finally quantify co-op’s full impact.

The Takeaway for Ag Marketers

Co-op marketing isn’t a legacy tactic, it’s a valuable performance tool waiting to be modernized. For marketers navigating tighter budgets and higher expectations, it offers a unique opportunity to extend reach, strengthen dealer relationships and prove ROI at scale.

The key is treating co-op like a modern marketing investment: structured, digital, measurable and aligned to business outcomes.

In 2026, the brands that modernize their co-op strategy will stand apart. Not because they spend more, but because they spend smarter.

The post Modernizing Your Co-Op Marketing Program for Measurable Impact appeared first on Farm Journal.