About.

ResponsibleAg is an industry-led certification program committed to helping agribusinesses properly store and handle farm input supplies. Participation underscores commitment to environmental, health, safety, and security regulations. Additionally, ResponsibleAg provides businesses of all sizes with education and a systematic approach to continuous improvement, helping participants identify potential compliance issues and correct them before the next government agency audit. ResponsibleAg is jointly operated by the Agricultural Retailers Association and The Fertilizer Institute.

Our People
Board of Directors
CHAIR
Kyle Springs
Nutrien Ag Solutions
Sr. Director of Safety & Health, Retail
VICE CHAIR
Kevin Frye
GROWMARK Inc.
Safety Services Manager
SECRETARY
Andy Spahr
The Andersons, Inc.
Director, Sales & Logistics – Primary Nutrients
TREASURER
Jeff Mize
Ag Plus
CEO
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE LIAISON
Clark Capwell
The McGregor Company
General Manager EHS&S
AT-LARGE DIRECTOR
Ryan Burke
Gavilon
COO, Executive Vice President of Strategy
AT-LARGE DIRECTOR
Matt Entwistle
CaroVail
Sales Agronomist
AT-LARGE DIRECTOR
Dave Ito
Grow West
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs
AT-LARGE DIRECTOR
Matt Surdick
CHS
Senior Director
EX-OFFICIO
Brian Mason
Asmark Institute
President & CEO
MEMBER
Daren Coppock
Agricultural Retailers Association
President & CEO
MEMBER
Corey Rosenbusch
The Fertilizer Institute
President & CEO

My company has an existing safety program. Why should I join ResponsibleAg?

Agribusinesses must comply with hundreds of regulations from OSHA, DOT, EPA, and DHS, and those often change, making it hard to keep up. This is where ResponsibleAg comes in — by helping agribusinesses achieve and maintain compliance with existing federal laws and regulations. With ResponsibleAg, you can identify areas of improvement and get compliance support. Whether you have an extensive EHS team or limited staff, ResponsibleAg can help you comply. Plus, by earning a third-party certification, you demonstrate your care and compliance to your community and your employees.

How does my company earn its ResponsibleAg certification?

There are five straightforward steps to earning ResponsibleAg certification. They are:

  1. Register your facility at responsibleag.org
  2. Review the ResponsibleAg Assessment Checklist
  3. Contact a credentialed auditor, and schedule your facility assessment
  4. Credentialed auditor assesses your facility and creates a secure and confidential corrective action plan, which identifies areas of non-compliance with federal regulations, references federal regulation(s) pertaining to the improvement or non-compliance, and links to practical solutions in the ResponsibleAg Compliance Assistance Library
  5. Complete corrective actions

Will participating in ResponsibleAg help our safety and risk teams?

Yes. ResponsibleAg offers participants unlimited access to valuable resources, including the Compliance Assistance Library, which provides quick and easy information on common federal compliance citations. Another popular resource is ResponsibleAg’s Assessment Checklist of all federal regulatory requirements, which is updated annually by a team of experts.

What other companies participate in ResponsibleAg?

More than 2,500 agricultural businesses around the United States participate in ResponsibleAg and are working to improve the industry’s compliance and image.

Why was ResponsibleAg formed?

The fertilizer and agricultural input industry is underscoring its corporate social responsibility by promoting safe storage and handling practices and supporting federal regulatory compliance by all retailers. Our goal: Improving safety and security associated with storage and handling of fertilizer products, supporting compliance with federal regulations, demonstrating accountability and transparency, and providing for the safety of employees, customers, and communities – while continuing to serve the vital need of the agricultural community.

How does ResponsibleAg promote safe storage and handling practices?

ResponsibleAg compiles a checklist of federal regulatory requirements applicable to the storage and handling of fertilizer and agricultural input supplies. The checklist, developed by a technical committee comprised of industry regulatory professionals, contains more than 500 questions. Auditors credentialed under the ResponsibleAg Certification Program use this checklist to assess compliance with federal regulations at participating facilities.

What is the scope of the ResponsibleAg assessment?

The ResponsibleAg assessment includes the following areas:

  • EHS & S Documentation
  • Commercial Motor Vehicles
  • Maintenance Records
  • Application/Nurse Equipment
  • Office & Grounds
  • Waste Management
  • Dry Fertilizer Warehouse
  • Fuel Storage
  • Bulk Liquid Fertilizer
  • Seed Treater/Warehouse
  • Anhydrous Ammonia Facility
  • Chemical Warehouse
  • Anhydrous Ammonia Mobile Equipment
  • Bulk Pesticide
  • Shop
  • Grain/Feed
  • Forklift/Endloaders

What businesses are eligible to participate in the ResponsibleAg assessment program?

Any business that stores or handles fertilizer or other agricultural input products may participate.

How does the assessment process work?

Participating facilities receive an assessment by a credentialed ResponsibleAg auditor once every three years. Upon completion, the auditor enters their findings into the ResponsibleAg website within 24 hours of completing the assessment. After the findings are entered, the facility receives a corrective action plan listing any issues that were discovered by the auditor.

What information will the public be able to access regarding a facility’s assessment?

The public can view only the list of participating ResponsibleAg facilities on the website.

What if I want to register multiple facilities?

Contact the ResponsibleAg Helpdesk for instructions on how to register multiple facilities.

How can I publicize my certification by ResponsibleAg?

Only facilities certified by ResponsibleAg can use the ResponsibleAg logo on signage, printed material, employee clothing, and other materials.

Technical Committee
CHAIR
Joshua Bossard
Nutrien Ag Solutions
Sr Director of Safety & Health, Retail
VICE CHAIR
Alicia Brown
CHS, Inc.
Senior Environmental Specialist
Jerry Boger
Premier Ag
Director of Retail Safety & Environmental
Clark Capwell
The McGregor Company
Manager Environmental Health & Safety
Laura Fiffick
Wilbur-Ellis Company
Director, Environmental Health & Safety
Jared Fishero
Keystone Cooperative, Inc.
Risk and Safety Coordinator
Richard Gupton
Agricultural Retailers Association
Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Counsel
Drew Landerman
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
EHS Specialist
Alan Mahoney
Mahoney Safety, LLC
President
J. Billy Pirkle
Novus Ag LLC
Vice President, Corporate Services
Lance Stenzel
Southern States Cooperative
Safety & Loss Control Manager
Dustin Warder
Asmark Institute
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs
Walt Wicker
Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC
Senior Project Engineer
The ResponsibleAg audits, coupled with the transparency of the program, help confirm that the company is consistently doing the right thing.
Clark Capwell General Manager, Environmental Health, Safety & Security The McGregor Company
Affiliates
Get CertifiedBecome an AuditorContact Us
Callout Background Image