Fall 2015  
Farm Credit Flashback  

 
In celebration of the 100th year of Farm Credit, the "Centennial Chronicle" highlights significant  milestones of the Farm Credit System. 

Pictured below: Ten Federal Land Bank Presidents pose outside the Federal Farm Loan Bureau Office in Washington DC in the 1920s.




Attention FCI Member-Owners!       

 
Be sure you've ordered your Centennial Keepsake by the October 15 deadline at www.farmcreditIL.com/keepsake. Find your unique Order Code on the card mailed to you in August. Contact your local office with questions.


Chat with the Chief
Today's Action Leads to
Tomorrow's Opportunity

There's no getting around it. In the next several years, cash flows are projected to decrease or even fall into the red. Thinking ahead, examining your financials, and then taking action will help you prepare for the tighter margins of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.

FCI Harvest Lunch Deliveries 
Photo Gallery 
 
Congratulations to 75 farms selected as "Meals in the Field" hosts in the past month. Nearly 1,000 farmers, neighbors, family members, and workers were served hot lunches as Farm Credit commemorated National Farm Safety & Health Week. Additionally, more than 30 FCI Grill Events were held at local grain elevators to provide complimentary pork burger lunches to farmers delivering grain and their workers in the field.


INTERESTing Times
Interest Rates, Soybeans, and the
U.S. Dollar

While the FOMC appears to want to increase interest rates, their hesitancy to take the first step has created increased volatility in several markets including bond and commodity prices. The Federal Funds Interest Rate remained at 0.00 to 0.25% after the September meeting.

Financial Snapshot


KOHL-laborations
The Kids of the 1980s

On a summer evening in Kentucky, Dr. Steve Isaacs, professor at University of Kentucky, and I moderated a forum between a group of agriculture alumni leaders. These individuals were just getting their start in farming during the farm crisis of the 1980s - one of the most economically challenging times in the agriculture industry's history. In our forum, one question in particular seemed to really capture interest: "If you were 25 again, what would you do differently?"

Member-Owner Connection
Meet Dr. Stacey Funderburk

Dr. Stacey is the owner of Countryside Veterinary Service in Taylorville and
 - soon to come - Nokomis. At both of her clinic locations and on the farm, she cares for small and large animals and everything in between. Dr. Stacey received her veterinary degree from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine before coming to the Taylorville community and working towards owning her own practice.

Staff in the Spotlight
Meet Todd Hortin

Todd has been with Farm Credit Illinois for more than 15 years in various roles. He began working in the Mt. Vernon office as a credit analyst before moving to the Harrisburg (now Marion) office as vice president of financial services a year later. Since then, Todd has enjoyed working with members to meet their financial needs in different roles, including managing the Harrisburg regional office.

 Enjoy a Q & A Interview with Todd Hortin
Farm Credit College
Sign up today for December 2015 &
January 2016 Classes

Managing Risk & Optimizing Crop Marketing Strategies
Thursday, December 10 - Decatur Conference Center
Friday, December 11 - Rend Lake Resort, Whittington


Dr. Steve Johnson, farm & ag business management specialist with Iowa State University, will present a morning session on Solutions for Success: Crop Marketing, Risk Management & Farm Finances. His presentation includes three case studies of real farm operations in the Midwest that refinanced and/or cut fixed costs.
 


Chad Henderson, founding partner and market analyst at Prime Agricultural Consultants, will present, Practical Approach to Grain and Livestock Marketing and 2016 Outlook, which will equip you with applicable strategies to enhance your marketing plan and provide you with a forecast of what to expect next year. 


REGISTER HERE    PRINTABLE FLYER



Keep the Family Farming: Estate and Succession Planning
Thursday, January 7 - Northfield Inn & Conference Center, Springfield
Friday, January 8 - Kaskaskia College, Centralia


Dr. Shannon Ferrell, associate professor and agriculture law specialist at Oklahoma State University, will present two sessions each day. The morning workshop, "Keeping the Family (and the Farm) Together", will focus on three key components of estate planning: beginning the transition process, communicating effectively, and planning for farm business succession.

During the afternoon session, Dr. Ferrell will dive into a practical and applicable approach through a planning workbook each participant will receive. His strategies include: estate planning in the transition process and putting your plan into action.


REGISTER HERE    PRINTABLE FLYER

Price Check

Check out a sampling of 30 farmland sales results reported from various farm real estate auctions held in the past 100 days throughout the Farm Credit Illinois service area. Of the real estate auctions reported, farmland with a 1-A land class ranged from a high of $11,950 per acre for 100 acres in Champaign County on July 14 to a low of $10,400 on two tracts of land totaling 126 acres in Vermilion County on August 13. Farmland with a 3-C land class sold as high as $9,872 per acre on a 41-acre tract in St. Clair County on August 18 to as low as $2,350 per acre for 124 acres in Clay County on August 29.



CHECK LISTINGS
On The Block

Farm Credit Illinois maintains a list of upcoming farmland auctions submitted within the Association's 60-county marketplace. The listing is updated weekly at www.farmcreditIL.com.

If you have an auction to include, please submit a form at  www.farmcreditIL.com/auctioninfo

Sign Up To Win One of Ten Farm First Aid Kits!
Drawing to be held Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) designed and produced the Farm First Aid Kit with farm injuries in mind. The kit contains first aid supplies useful in an emergency response or for everyday use. Made of durable materials, it is weather and moisture resistant with more than $85 worth of first aid supplies. The kit is great for the combine, tractor, truck, car, machine shed, barn, home, shop, or college student dorm room or apartment.


Farm Safety Kit Button


Congratulations to the winners of the "essential" Cuisinart Grill Kits given away after the summer edition: 
  • Jane Becker of Jacksonville (Morgan County)
  • Kenneth Bergbower of Robinson (Crawford County)
  • Chris Walker of Mattoon (Coles County)
  • Ron Holevoet of Carlyle (Clinton County)
  • Thomas Agler of Lawrenceville (Lawrence County)
  • Chris Lashbrook of Marshall (Clark County)

FCI Team Milestones

A special salute to these employees who reached significant milestones in their years of service to Farm Credit since July 1, 2015:

Welcome Aboard
Meet the newest members of the staff team who joined Farm Credit Illinois since July 1, 2015.


2016 Focus on Farming
Submissions & Selections
 
This year, 430 images were submitted for the 2016 photo calendar - almost double from 2015. It was a challenge to select only 53 to be featured, so we want to share them all with you in a video slideshow. Thanks for sharing your
favorite pictures with us; we hope you enter again next year!

Farm Credit Awards $100,000 Centennial Gift
Farm Progress Show Attendees Help 'Designate the Dollars'
 

A $100,000 commemorative contribution to the Illinois agriculture industry was made by Illinois' two Farm Credit associations at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur. 1st Farm Credit Services and Farm Credit Illinois collectively distributed the special centennial gift among ten different Illinois agriculture groups as they celebrate the 100th year of the Farm Credit System.
Farm Credit Illinois | 877.327.6345 | i[email protected] | http://farmcreditIL.com
STAY CONNECTED: