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February 2009, Volume 1, Issue 1 |
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| Welcome To Farm Credit "essentials" |
Welcome to the first edition of Farm Credit "essentials". We hope "essentials" helps keep you connected with the Farm Credit family and informed on Farm Credit's business results and community activities. Whether you are one of the member owners of our Farm Credit cooperative or one of our Illinois agriculture industry peers, we invite you to take a few minutes to check-out the "essentials" at Farm Credit Services of Illinois. Your feedback is welcome and your suggestions for future editions are valued; email your comments to info@fcsillinois.com. |
| Year In Review - From Dave Owens, CEO
"Despite the challenges of 2008, we experienced another year of exceptional financial results." |
 Change and uncertainty are simply a part of agriculture. You may remember the optimism that existed at this time last year. Commodity prices were good and expected to improve; input costs were on the rise, but there was optimism about improved margins. Livestock operators were feeling the pinch of higher feed costs, but there was hope of some downsizing and price improvements. Well, the rest is history. Mother Nature dealt the first blow with unrelenting spring rains. Weather problems are always possible, but the spring of 2008 was an exception. The rain just kept coming and impacted most of our service area. By mid-year, both commodity grain prices and farm input costs skyrocketed and set new records. Read more... |
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| Our 2008 Financial Highlights |
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| Farm Credit Commentary
"The Farm Credit System serves as a shining example of how government-sponsored enterprises can and should work." |
| Learn why the Farm Credit System continues to be a financially successful GSE (Government Sponsored Enterprise) while other financial institutions needed to be rescued by the federal government these past few months. Read More... |
Customer Connection: Meet Greg & Nancy Guenther
"The word 'can't' isn't in my dictionary." |
 Greg & Nancy Guenther own and operate a corn and soybean farm near Belleville. Longtime land conservationists, the Guenther's use zero-till on soybeans and minimum tillage on corn acres and employ BMP (Best Management Practice) and IPM (Integrated Pest Management) on all acres. Greg was recognized in November 2008 with the distinguished "World of Corn" award by the Illinois Corn Growers Association for his significant contributions to the corn industry. Read More...
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| Protecting Profit Potential - A Revenue Insurance Success Story
"Without it, I might have had some sleepless nights when it was flooding and I wouldn't have marketed so heavily." |
 Getting paid on an insurance claim in 2008 was a bonus for Wes Veach, who operates 1700 acres in Coles, Edgar, Douglas, and Clark Counties. He raised 185 bu/acre corn and 56 bu/acre soybeans. It was a good crop, near average yields. However, due to a record decline in Harvest Prices, Veach received an insurance payment for the year due to revenue loss. Read More... |
| "We Understand" Agriculture Scholarships |
Farm Credit will be awarding twenty-three $1,000 college scholarships this spring to high school seniors planning to pursue agricultural careers. Applicants must complete an on-line registration form and submit a scholarship application by March 15, 2009. Read More...
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| Cultivating Master Farmers |
| A new group of young farmers (under the age of 37) and past recipients of Prairie Farmer's Master Farmer award are being recruited to become participants in the 2009-2011 class of Cultivating Master Farmers (CMF). CMF was established in 2005 as a two-year program that unites farmers of different generations for six separate one-day informational exchange sessions. Previous sessions include round table discussions, interactive speakers, farm and industry tours. Topics, speakers, and destinations are all participant-driven by each class. Farm Credit Services of Illinois is one of the six company sponsors of the program. Others include 1st Farm Credit Services, GROWMARK, Illinois Farm Bureau, Monsanto, and Prairie Farmer. Learn more & Download Application
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| Staff In The Spotlight: Ken Finkle, Jacksonville Branch Loan Officer
"I am now working with the second or third generation of some of my original customers." |
 Ken Finkle has the most Farm Credit seniority of all current FCS of Illinois employees. Ken joined Farm Credit in 1972 as a trainee with the Federal Land Bank in St. Louis after graduating from the University of Illinois with a double-major in Animal Sciences and Agricultural Economics. Read More... |
| FCS Team Milestones |
We salute these employees who reached milestones in their years of service to Farm Credit during the last quarter of 2008:
35 YEARS : Gary Kopp, Mahomet Related Services
30 YEARS : Margie Sheley, Mahomet Credit Services Division
25 YEARS : Doug Healy, Harrisburg Appraiser & Cindy Jones, Mahomet Branch
10 YEARS : Mark Schaefer, Carlinville & Jerseyville Branches
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| Welcome Aboard! |
 The newest member of the Farm Credit staff team is Lindsay Ealy who joined Farm Credit in October as an accounting assistant. A graduate of Mahomet-Seymour High School, Lindsay earned an associate's degree in applied science accounting and a certificate in independent business management from Parkland College. Lindsay and her husband, Christopher, reside in Mahomet and have two children.
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| Want To Chat About Interest Rates or Crop Insurance? |
Make an on-line request to get a quote on today's interest rates from a loan officer or learn about 2009 crop insurance options by filling out a form at our Request Center.
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Thank you for reading Farm Credit "essentials" !
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