He was a director of the Saskatchewan branch, C.S.G.A., from 1942 to 1948, vice-president in 1947 and 1948 and provincial president from 1949 to 1952. Nationally, he was elected C.S.G.A. vice-president in 1951 and president of the Canadian body from 1953 to 1955. He helped organize the Saskatchewan Seed Grain Co-operative in 1948, serving as vice-president for 10 years and president for five. This agency worked through local elevator operators, shipping carlot orders of seed from co-operative members to farmers throughout the province. The co-operativeís assets were sold in 1983 to Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.

Jim Farquharson believed good seed, representing the product of plant breeding research, was the most important step in profitable crop production. A man of great personal integrity and common sense, his counsel was widely sought by farmers, by people in government and by aspiring seed growers. His own high standards of seed production were recognized in 1949 when he was elected a Robertson Association of the C.S.G.A., highest honor which can be conferred on a Canadian seed grower.