Farmers Business Network® opens up free membership for all farmers

Farmer’s Business Network, Inc. (FBN^®), the leading direct-to-farm ag tech platform and farmer network, Tuesday announced that membership to its platform, which helps farmers reduce their cost of production and maximize the value of their crops, is now free for all farmers.*

"From the trade war, to unpredictable weather conditions, to the COVID-19 pandemic, these are challenging times for farmers," said Amol Deshpande, CEO and Co-Founder, Farmers Business Network. “We view this as an investment in our customers. By providing free membership now, all farmers will have access to a select range of products and services that are focused specifically on supporting their independent businesses, both in good times and in bad."

FBN is trusted by nearly 14,000 farmer members around the world, representing 45 million acres - an area roughly the size of the state of Wisconsin. In 2020, the company has seen a 42-percent surge in new members as farmers struggle amid one of the most challenging periods in recent history.

Now, any US, Canadian or Australian farmer can become a member for free and benefit from the company's direct-to-farm commerce, crop marketing, and sustainability platform that redefines transparency, value and convenience in the agriculture industry. Existing members will receive a prorated credit for the value of their paid membership, which can be used in the online FBN Direct Store or towards a Market Advisory Pro Subscription.

Free membership will enable farmers to explore which products and services will be most useful to their operation. Not only will farmers be able to shop online for inputs through FBN Direct and manage marketing contracts and bids through FBN’s Profit Center tool, but also they will be able to take advantage of the advanced agronomic and decision making software available for free to all members, including:

- Price Transparency: Unlocking the prices other farmers pay for common chemical and seed inputs, helping farmers save on average 19% off the median price of chemicals and 10% off seed inputs.

- Seed Finder: Access large scale yield and price information on over 1,400 seed varieties, helping farmers on average increase their yield by 18 bushels per acre when they select the variety recommended by our platform.1

- Free satellite imagery: Enabling farmers to monitor their fields to protect their yield from pest pressure, while saving roughly $2 per acre on satellite imagery fees.

- FBN Community: Connect and learn from a network of close to 14,000 farmers online, in our farmers-only discussion forum.

- Shop for insurance, financing and brokering options.

“Being able to utilize FBN Direct has been a huge savings for my operation,” said Mike Bergen, a farmer based in Nebraska who grows irrigated corn and soybeans as well as dryland corn. "Not only can I price and compare chemicals, but I have the ability to purchase some for substantially less. I’m glad we’re welcoming more members because the bigger the network gets and the more information that's put into it, the more valuable a service it is for everyone."

FBN's agronomic network is a contributory, farmer-driven platform that creates real-world data for growers, from growers. As before, data contribution is strictly optional for members and not required for membership. Access to features such as Seed Finder price and performance analytics, will be reserved for data contributing members.

FBN depends on direct input from farmers to develop the company's offerings to better serve growers’ needs. For example, in response to longstanding complaints about the high cost of seed, FBN started its own seed line, F2F Genetics Network, in August 2018. The company launched FBN Health in 2018 after concerns were raised about the growing costs and challenges of healthcare on the farm. In January 2020, the company rolled out HedgeCommand to help farmers market their grain. And across all FBN product and service offerings, the company’s commitment to data privacy and transparency remains unchanged.

“Our substantial investments in innovation and technology are investments in the future of the family farm,” said Deshpande. “By providing free membership, we are unlocking the value of these investments to more farmers, which helps them withstand headwinds now and positions them for greater profit potential in the future.”

*Fees may apply for certain product and service offerings other than FBN membership.