FEMA: "Here's to Another 75 Years"

Editor's Note: FEMA is collaborating with Lessiter Media, publisher of Farm Equipment magazine, to commemorate their 75-year history. As part of the FEMA anniversary, we're asking the question: "What would be the industry impact had FEMA never come to exist or perhaps failed to find traction and permanence?" Send your answer to this question to mlessiter@lessitermedia.com and your response may appear online.

The question most members are asking themselves is “What if FEMA didn’t exist.” No one knows for certain; one can only envision. There is no incorrect answer. Many smaller manufacturers could have easily been led down the wrong path without the leadership and guidance you gain from being a member of this association. I am sure our forefathers in 1950 had no idea what an impact this association would have on hundreds of people over the past 75 years.

Being a member of FEMA gives you unlimited access to the knowledge and experience of hundreds of men and women working in the agricultural segment. The association is a brotherhood, not a competition.

FEMA is the peak of a pyramid where ag manufacturers, suppliers and marketing all gather under one roof to accomplish one thing, the goal of success. Where else could you possibly go to acquire this much information and knowledge in just a few days?

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I always looked at FEMA like a bank account. “The more you put in the more you can take out.” 

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It is not just the annual conventions that make being a member so important, but all the hard work behind the scenes that the dedicated staff does to support the smaller manufacturer.

I always looked at FEMA like a bank account. “The more you put in the more you can take out.” Getting involved is the most important thing you can do.

As my era in the ag industry comes to an end, I have been privileged to have been a member for over 30 years. FEMA not only made me a better employee, but a better person overall. The information and knowledge I gained over the years, and the relationships I acquired—many of them becoming lifelong friendships—are priceless. This association made my career path in agriculture very enjoyable.

Related Content: Looking Back: 40 Years with Sunco, Hiniker, Ingersoll, Southern Marketing & Forges de Niaux

In the midst of celebrating its 75th Anniversary, the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association (FEMA) has partnered with Lessiter Media to chronicle the Association’s past through an in-depth multimedia project that will culminate at FEMA’s Marketing & Distribution Convention in Las Vegas, NV., on Oct. 27-30, 2025. Key pieces of this special collaboration include a comprehensive history book (pictured right) on the association that highlights the significance of the organization and its independent shortline members and their innovations. The media group will also film, edit and produce a video documentary that will entertain, educate and inspire the industry about the accomplishments and mission of FEMA. Both projects will debut to attendees at the 2025 Fall Convention, and later to the entire industry through Lessiter Media’s ag division properties.