John Reifsteck Chairman of the Board, President, and Farmer

“ Our commitments to sustainable practices are carefully planned and measured – and designed to help our customers do the same.”

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Jim SpradlinChief Executive Officer

GROWMARK, Inc. is an agricultural cooperative headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. One of the top four agricultural cooperatives in the U.S., GROWMARK is owned by local supply and grain member cooperatives. In more than 40 states and Ontario, Canada, we supply energy products, crop nutrients, crop protection products, seed, structures, equipment, and grain marketing services. The GROWMARK System supports its people and product lines with warehousing and logistics as well as training and marketing support. GROWMARK and its supply and grain members are owned and directed by more than 250,000 farmers – keeping us close to the people we serve.

In 2017, we experienced one of nature’s most inspiring sights – a total solar eclipse. Like this convergence of the sun and moon, every element of the GROWMARK System is aligned toward a common objective: The preservation of our agricultural resources. Our endure program is a holistic approach to the practices, programs, and services that can help us reach that goal. As we identify and initiate sustainable practices, we evaluate the potential impact not just on our business, but on the people and markets beyond. All segments of our business – from agronomy to energy to facilities and more – interact and complement each other’s role in these efforts.Guided by our past successes, the endure program emphasizes business ethics, employee engagement, and investment in our communities. It is our company culture, and woven into everything we do. This report offers an overview of just some of the ways GROWMARK is demonstrating our commitment to corporate citizenship and respon-sible business practices. Activities and efforts within and outside our endure program continue to evolve. I encourage you to follow our initiatives on our web site – growmark.com – and through social media.

2017 endure 4R Advocates Adam Dexter, West Central FS, Inc. Williamsfield, IllinoisDon Jones, GROWMARK FS, LLC Farmington, New YorkJay Matthews, AgVantage FS Charles City, IowaJohn Musser, Stephenson Service Co. Stockton, IllinoisNicole Weber, FS PARTNERS Kitchener, Ontario

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At the beginning of time, the universe was tiny particles of energy that gravity pulled together to form suns, planets and galaxies. The “big bang” for the Endure program was triggered by our commitment to protecting our planet’s agricultural resources. This evolving system is a fusion of science, management tools and social responsibility that will help preserve our environment far into the future.

Some scientists believe that at the beginning of time, the universe was tiny particles of energy that gravity pulled together to form suns, planets and galaxies.

The “big bang” for the endure program was triggered by our commitment to protecting our planet’s agricultural resources. This evolving system is a fusion of science, management tools and social responsibility that will help preserve our environment far into the future.

GROWMARK’s Agronomy Division was the first to build initiatives under the endure umbrella. N WATCH, a crop-nutrient management tool, has given farmers a way to observe the behavior of plant-available nitrogen in the soil over time. In 2017, the program expanded to 250 N-WATCH sites from western Iowa to southeast Ontario to Ohio.

The “4R” approach – Right source, Right rate, Right time

and Right place – is an ongoing program that is helping farmers become profitable and accountable.

The “4R” approach has been customized and implemented in GROWMARK’s key states of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

The 4R4U Field Demonstration Partnership is a

statewide collaboration between GROWMARK and the Illinois Farm Bureau. The program’s first year includes 14 Illinois County Farm Bureaus and 11 FS member companies.

GROWMARK is a partner with more

than 30 stakeholders in Iowa’s 4R Plus program which is designed to increase farmer’s awareness of good soil health and conservation practices.

The Sustainable 4RWI is a collaborative program among the

Wisconsin Farm Bureau, GROWMARK through its member company Insight FS, and local farmers.

In its second year, the endure 4R Advocate program recognized the efforts of five individuals within the GROWMARK System who excelled in helping farmers employ sustainable practices. They focus on what is important to their local economies, environment and communities: watersheds, nitrogen-application education, the 4R principles, and the N Watch program.

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of our efforts. We have created a system for measuring and reporting farming practices, communication, education, and training. The program captures and compiles information from our stakeholders to create an internal baseline, identify market opportunities, and obtain aggregated indicators of adopted Best Management Practices.

Commitment. FS cooperatives are taking the Stewardship Pledge – a promise to everyone in the agriculture industry, including their communities and families, to promote and recommend products and practices that highlight our commitment to Sustainable Best Management Practices.

GROWMARK has created additional tools to give farmers a better under-standing of cropping practices and help them improve their manage-ment systems. The MiField program relies on applied research to deliver analytics from individual fields. The data is used to develop fertility plans focused on minimizing environmental impact, optimizing nutrient utilization, and maximizing harvest yield.Agronomic Training. Our new Applicator Simulator is a training tool that enhances our team’s ability to deliver the best solutions to our customers. The simulator has helped more than 1000 applicators identify the best management practices for applying crop nutrients and protectants. Our comprehensive crop and turf specialist training program gives trainees technical knowledge they can take directly to the customer to promote environmental stewardship. Measurement. Demonstration and measurement of our progress in promoting environmental stewardship are integral parts

Engaging the future of agricultureMore than 50 high school students from five schools in one market area are taking a closer look into the soil and tracking the dynamics of how plant-available nitrogen changes over time. They are learning about the nitrogen cycle through a mini-lecture series and by tracking both ammonium and nitrate-N. The threads of student engagement will help propagate knowledge among farmers and the urban public about nutrient use in production agriculture.

Students collected samples from 21 N-TRACKER sites at ten sampling dates between November 2016 and May 2017. There were a total of 161 N-TRACKER sites within the five-county area served by Illini FS, including the 21 sites collected by students.

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Like a solar system, the GROWMARK System is a collection of diverse enterprises that revolve around a central force.

Each element of the system travels its own path to fulfill its unique goals, but all are guided and energized by the GROWMARK mission and a solid core of resource management.

The Pollinator Seed Program, which began three years ago under the leadership of the agronomy team, more than doubled the locations this year. GROWMARK is working with member cooperatives to plant plots of wildflower seed mix to encourage honeybee population growth and demonstrate the importance of honeybees to agriculture.

Nearly 90 4-H groups in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri are growing pollinator plots. GROWMARK is also partnering with Illinois Ag in the Classroom to provide seed to educators.Salem4Youth in Flanagan, Illinois, continues to participate in the program alongside their bee-keeping project. Salem4Youth is a faith-based organization supported by the GROWMARK Foundation.

New this year is the Enduring Farm program that challenges local farmers to work with their FS cooperatives to incorporate sustainable practices in nutrient management. Those farm operations are encouraged to use the 4Rs, cover crops, nitrogen stabilizers, and other practices.

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An important goal for GROWMARK is building more efficiency into supply chain management for delivering fuel and ag products. The Energy Division uses a dedicated web-based system to help drivers and dispatchers plan for timely deliveries, reduce road time and save fuel. The wEBS system monitors, calculates, and predicts – using degree days – when deliveries are needed for propane, saving driver and truck time on the road.

To improve efficiency, most large volume product shipments are received in three warehouses, located in Alpha and Nashville, Illinois, and Tillsonburg, Ontario. From there, products are distributed to our clients on regular routes.Manito Transit transports goods throughout the Midwest with a greener footprint. This GROWMARK subsidiary transports fuels, fertilizers,

crop protection products, and more via tank trucks, and has been recognized as a member of the EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership program.

In space, distance is measured by combining data on time and speed. The result is expressed as light years, which are almost incomprehensibly vast. The diameter of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is 100,000 light years.

The interaction of time, speed, and distance are important at GROWMARK, too. Our Energy and Transportation Divisions rely on complex data to manage sustainable productivity and maintain our edge in a competitive industry.

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Complementing the delivery protocols for propane is GROWMARK’s expansion of propane terminals throughout its market area. Since 2013, GROWMARK has acquired propane terminals in Canton, South Dakota, and Plattsburg, Missouri, and has partnered with a member cooperative in Paulding, Ohio.In 2015, GROWMARK added a refined fuel terminal near St. Joseph, Missouri, bringing the total inventory to five. In 2017 we added new fuel terminals in Moravia and New Hampton, Iowa. It’s not just the road; barges are the most fuel-efficient transportation mode per ton mile, followed by rail and then truck. Through a partnership with COFCO International, GROWMARK will utilize a state-of-the-art barge and rail facility outside St. Louis, Missouri to move grain from its FS and grain member cooperatives to overseas markets.

The people of GROWMARK’s Energy Division are educating school districts and municipalities across our core market area about the advantages of adopting propane-powered buses. Use of GROWMARK’s Propane Autogas fuel is contributing to cleaner air in school yards, better operating efficiency for school districts, and quieter buses for school children.

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What we do has far-reaching effects on societies, cultures, ages, and interests – from individual children to whole communities. Our team members have logged hundreds of hours volunteering for a wide variety of organizations, to community groups to youth programs, and disaster relief.

GROWMARK employees sit on the Illinois Leadership Council for Ag Education, an advocacy board to promote agriculture instruction in schools. One of these employees also chairs the Illinois Committee for Ag Education – a governor-appointed committee to help guide state funding in ag education. Celebrating its first anniversary is the Family of Companies FFA Alumni chapter. Volunteers within GROWMARK played a key role in establishing the chapter which offers guidance to traditional FFA groups.

The GROWMARK System’s Foundation weaves its influence through many of the company’s programs. We support a number of initiatives including ag education, The United Way, and the Midwest Food Bank. Contributions to the Midwest Food Bank directly supported the development of Salvation Army boxes and hygiene kits for those affected by hurricanes in the summer of 2017. In northern Illinois, the Foundation provided funds to the American Red Cross for disaster relief from flooding.The Foundation supports advocacy initiatives in Illinois and Iowa and now supports membership in the Regional Conservation Partnership Program in Iowa. The program promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners.GROWMARK FS, a division of GROWMARK, continues its leadership in the Chesapeake Bay area to help assure environmental regulations are science-based. We collaborate with Penn State University and the University of Delaware, as well as Pennsylvania EPA, Maryland Department of Agriculture, USDA, and NRCS. This year GROWMARK FS

employees were instrumental in founding the Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association, which advances regional 4R outreach, education, and research.The GROWMARK Foundation funds hundreds of GROWMARK scholarships, including an FFA Essay Contest. Each year, GROWMARK awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to students in our 40-state service area and Canada. We also provide more than $70,000 for Ag-in-the-Classroom programs to support ag literacy. For the past 10 years, the GROWMARK Foundation has maintained a partnership with Agriculture Future of America (AFA), which offers leader and career development training and academic scholarships for young men and women pursuing careers in the agriculture and food industries.

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Our planet is made up of complex systems that are constantly changing and often unpredictable. Air, water, land, and life interact in a fragile balance that provides everything we need to survive.

At GROWMARK, we take a broad perspective regarding our role in maintaining this balance. We believe that every product, every service, every member of our team can make a difference that will improve people’s lives and preserve our planet.

Though our System-wide impact is felt across our market area and beyond, our efforts are most meaningful at the local level, where communities directly benefit from our activities. Last year, we initiated Enduring Commitments, which matches GROWMARK Foundation funds with member cooperative contributions to leverage dollars for local initiatives.

The NEXT program is part of GROWMARK’s commitment to the future of the System and the agriculture industry. The program helps FS cooperatives build relationships with the next generation of farmers and customers through educational and networking events organized at the local level. Our Leadership Development Programs are more than succession planning and leadership transition. Working with the Purdue University Center for Leadership Development, we focus on ensuring GROWMARK

is positioned to always move forward, to assure that information is accessible, and that strategic planning is in place. The cooperative principles illustrate a sustainable model of social, economic, and environmental stewardship. And GROWMARK support to the endure initiative at all levels within the System demonstrates our commitment.

1701 Towanda AvenueBloomington IL 61701(309) 557-6000

www.growmark.com

© 2017 GROWMARK, Inc.

OUR VISIONTo be the best agricultural cooperative in North America.

OUR MISSIONTo improve the long-term profitability of our member-owners.

OUR FOCUSTo develop and deliver leading edge products, services, knowledge, and technology through high level expertise and strategic assets.

OUR VISIONTo be the best agricultural cooperative in North America.

OUR MISSIONTo improve the long-term profitability of our member-owners.

OUR FOCUSTo develop and deliver leading edge products, services, knowledge, and technology through high level expertise and strategic assets.

In keeping with the spirit of conserving natural resources, this “endure” Report is printed in a limited number, with the bulk of requests for copies being filled through on-demand digital reproduction.