Membership Classifications
Associate Membership
Associate Members of the Farm Bureau are often referred to as “A” members. The annual dues for an “A” membership are $20. The membership is for 1 year and begins in the month that you become a member. “A” members have less than $2500 of gross annual farm income. New members with proper classification are approved at the monthly Board of Directors meeting.
MM Membership
“Farmer” Members of the Farm Bureau are often referred to as “M” members. To qualify as an “M” member, a person must have a substantial financial interest in the production of agricultural products, at least $2500 of gross annual farm income per year. This can be from the sale of agriculture commodities such as corn, soybeans, wheat, Christmas trees, vegetables, pumpkins, cattle, hogs, sheep, and cash rent from farmland ownership or possibly other specialty products contributing to our food and fiber system.
The annual dues for an “M” membership are $60 in Peoria County. The Peoria County Farm Bureau’s membership year is January 1-December 31. Members that join during the year pay on a prorated basis. “M” members joining in January, February and March pay $60. In April, May and June the dues are $45. July, August and September the fee is $30. Members joining in October, November, and December pay $75 (this pays the last quarter of the year, $15, and the entire following year, $60). New members with proper classification are approved at the monthly Board of Directors meeting.
It was presented at the 2022 County Annual Meeting, voted on and carried, and amended in the Peoria County Farm Bureau Bylaws that the Voting Member dues increase beginning the 2024 membership year and is worded as following:
“The annual dues for voting members of this Farm Bureau (including the dues of the Illinois Agricultural Association for voting members, which are currently Twenty-Two dollars ($22.00)) shall be Sixty dollars ($60.00), effective for the 2024 membership year, payable in advance.”
PM Membership
Professional Voting Members of the Farm Bureau are referred to as “PM” members. A Professional Member is someone who is employed in an agriculture-related occupation but does not have $2500 of annual farm income. The annual dues for a “PM” membership is the same as an “M” membership which is $60. The membership year is January 1 – December 31 and members that join during the year are also prorated at the same rate as the “M” membership.