Michigan and Wisconsin cherry and peach growers, like many other fruit growers, are facing challenges with rising input costs due to inflation and low market prices, especially for tart cherries. Volatile weather, including excessive precipitation and warm spells, can lead to disease and pest issues. To combat these challenges, growers are making management and marketing changes to adapt, including diversification and vertical integration.

“There is a lot of uncertainty right now as far as the global economy,” says Devon Rosebrugh, financial services officer at GreenStone Farm Credit Services . “We import a large amount of tart cherries from Turkey, which is known to export cherry juice and products at prices lower than American production costs. So, it will be interesting to see if those imports go down with tariffs, potentially creating a larger demand for domestic fruit.”

While the tariffs may help with fruit prices, growers face a higher cost on fertilizer inputs, including potash from Canada.

David Ortega, professor of agricultural economics at Michigan State University (MSU), warns: “Uncertainty linked to tariff policies makes it extremely difficult for farmers to plan investments and strategies.”

Volatile weather patterns in recent years have also caused havoc. “A lot of precipitation in the spring can cause disease and pest issues, and warm spells in the winter can cause crop damage,” says Rosebrugh.

Milder temperatures in southern Michigan this year elevated the risk for leaf curl infections in peaches. “We’ve had the most normal winter weather we’ve had in a lot of years,” Rosebrugh says. “So that’s kind of promising except for one little warm spell we encountered.”

Wisconsin is not a major producer of peaches and therefore it is not reported by USDA. However, USDA predicted Michigan’s peach harvest at 7,500 tons for 2024, down from 11,250 tons in 2023.

2025 growing season off to a promising start

Michigan and Wisconsin have quickly moved into bloom for all tree fruits. The states are experiencing a more normal bloom season compared to 2024, when the season was advanced.
“Although it has seemed cooler than normal in the northwest region of Michigan, our growing degree day accumulations are similar to our 35-year averages, which makes the 2025 spring more normal,” says Nikki Rothwell, MSU Extension Specialist and Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center Coordinator.

The northwest region had stormy weather overnight April 28-29. “We had high winds, lightning and thunder, and there were trees down throughout the region,” Rothwell says.

Michigan growers remain optimistic despite last year’s devastating sweet cherry failure. With a 75% loss in some areas, the failure prompted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue a disaster declaration for the Michigan cherry industry.

Michigan produces 75% of the nation’s tart cherry crop. However, weather, pests and rising labor costs are among the many challenges that could impact pricing in the future.

“Historically, we’ve been seeing a grower price of 15 to 20 cents per pound for tart cherries,” Rosebrugh says. “MSU research shows that it costs anywhere between 40 and 45 cents per pound to produce it.”

Many predict there will be a rightsizing of the industry over the next few years.
According to Horizon Grand View Research, the cherry market in North America is expected to reach a projected revenue of $31.6 million by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate of 7% from 2025 to 2030.

A Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) report shows international demand was a big source of revenue for Michigan’s cherry industry last year, with agriculture exports increasing 11% to $2.9 billion since 2023.

Fruit producers diversify their markets

Many financially strained fruit growers are becoming more diversified with agritourism activities and u-pick operations. Some have vertically integrated, controlling more than just the growing segment by adding processing and packing lines. Others are pulling out trees as pressure to sell for development continues to grow.

“Diversification, with farm stands and farm markets, is getting pretty popular,” Rosebrugh says. “Some type of agritourism or vertical integration is helping growers mitigate costs.”

With the creation of the Michigan Cherry Grower Alliance, growers hope to work more closely together to combat challenges. With support from the Alliance, the Cherry Marketing Institute and the Cherry Industry Administrative Board named a new president, Amy Cohn, and hired a new marketing firm, Curious Plot, which will focus on identifying new markets and customers to sell more cherries.

In addition, “MDARD has approved a grant to fund a portion of a fulfillment and distribution center for Cherry Republic, which is a large buyer of tart cherries,” Rosebrugh says. “They’re estimating their purchases will go up by one million pounds, which is a decent amount of the market share here.”

The sweet cherry harvest is expected to begin in late June and early July. According to Traverse Bay Farms, its timing and yield will be influenced by the weather and pest/disease pressures during the growing season.

The tart cherry harvest typically begins in late June or early July, with the peak harvest in July.

When you’re first getting started on your journey to building your dream home, the home construction process may seem overwhelming and out of reach at first. With so many steps and decisions to make along the way, surely the paperwork required throughout the process may seem like it could be never ending, right? Not with GreenStone Farm Credit Services!

Whether you are building your home yourself or contracting it out, here are the four main documents your GreenStone team will need at the start of your home construction process to keep your project running efficiently and on time.

Accurate Blueprints

After you’ve spoken to your loan officer and have been pre-qualified for your desired loan, you’ll then be ready to formally apply for your construction loan. The first item you will need to provide your lender with is the blueprints for your project. Whether you’re building a modular home, site/stick built, barndominium or log cabin, every project starts with the blueprints. Blueprints are what your lender and their appraiser will look at to appraise the value of your home, which determines the amount available for your construction loan.

Blueprints are also one item throughout the construction process that shouldn’t see many major changes. While you do have the ability to change your mind on things like the color of the backsplash in your kitchen, there is less wiggle room when it comes to changes such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

These more serious changes could have a material effect on the appraised value of the home. Blueprints must also be approved by your local municipality to receive the permits needed to build. Keep in mind, there may be restrictions or requirements from your local building department regarding the size, style and finishes allowable in your area as well.

Dwelling Specifications

The second document you will need to provide to your lender are the dwelling specifications. This document itemizes the types of materials you will be using in your home and includes items such as flooring, cabinets, countertops, windows, insulation, siding and roofing, which are not readily apparent in your blueprints.

Dwelling specifications are important because they not only help the appraiser value your home but also remind you of the details around the pricing you need to determine for your budget. For example, if you have your heart set on custom marble countertops for your kitchen and you want to splurge on the material used for that part of your home, you may need to reduce your costs elsewhere to make up the difference in the extra cost for that specialty item.

Minor changes can, and likely will, come about during your build. As long as they are within reason and do not jeopardize the initial appraisal value that was determined for your loan, you can make adjustments to the materials you would like to use in your home.

Up-to-Date Sworn Statement

Once you have your blueprints finalized and the different finish of materials chosen for your home, it’s time to complete your sworn statement form. The sworn statement is an important document that monitors your budget, keeps track of all payments made to your suppliers and subcontractors and accurately tracks any changes in pricing during the building process.

Before and during your project, the sworn statement will keep you organized regarding what payments have been made to which contractor and supplier and will help your lender determine if you are staying on budget for your project.

Learn more about completing your sworn statement form by watching this easy-to-follow tutorial!

Signed Builder Contract

If you are working with a general contractor to manage your build, you will need to provide a signed builder contract to your lender. This document will outline the builder’s preferred draw process for payments, provide an outline for project management, establish the construction timeline, and provide clear guidance for the roles and responsibilities of each party.

Builder contracts are important to obtain because they provide information on the process of your home’s construction as well as to ensure all legal requirements are met such as the permitting, licenses and insurance coverages required.

The more information you can provide to your lender up front, the smoother the process will be! Any additional information obtained throughout the construction project should always be provided to your lender so they can stay informed and provide the best support possible throughout the construction of your new home.

If you have questions regarding what the home construction process entails or would like to learn more about the DIY home construction loans GreenStone offers, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local branch!

Why should I consider livestock insurance?

Livestock and dairy insurance are an important part of your farm’s risk-management strategy. They can protect against financial loss due to changes in market prices for your livestock, milk, or a decrease in your profit margin. You may be wondering if you need livestock insurance, or what livestock insurance will cover. With rapidly fluctuating and uncertain markets, it’s more important now than ever for farmers to consider livestock insurance as a part of their risk management strategy to protect their livestock, farm, and livelihood.

The right kind of livestock insurance policy can protect your farm from unforeseen circumstances that could be detrimental to your operations. Whether you are a dairy, swine, or beef producer looking to ensure the price at which your milk or livestock is sold, there is a policy to help you reduce your risks. Livestock insurance is important for farmers who want to be protected from as many unpredictable events as possible. As you are aware, one of the only things you control in farming is the effort you put forth every day. Most other aspects, including the market, is out of your control, which is why it’s important to have a comprehensive risk-management strategy for your operation.

“Livestock and dairy insurance provide producers with peace of mind the price of their livestock or milk will be insured for market value at the time of purchasing coverage,” says GreenStone Farm Credit Services Senior VP of Crop Insurance Ben Malich. “This is a valuable tool for mitigating risk to your farm operations and provides financial protection during a time of market uncertainty.”

What are the different types of livestock insurance?

When determining the kind of coverage best for you, the first step is determining what your risk-management needs are and what kind of protection would benefit you most. Livestock and dairy insurance largely fall into these three categories:

Livestock Risk Protection: LRP protects against a decline in livestock market prices for beef and swine.

Livestock Gross Margin: LGM protects against the gross margin as determined by the market value of the livestock minus feed costs to mitigate the challenges of raising both beef and swine to market weight. Dairy can also be insured by LGM.

Dairy Revenue Protection: DRP protects against the difference between the final revenue guarantee and actual milk revenue if prices fall.

Where do I begin with livestock insurance coverage?

When it comes to determining what level of coverage you will need, it helps to have an expert on your side. Working with an insurance provider who understands the ins and outs of your specific industry as well as current market prices and trends is imperative to determining the livestock insurance policy most beneficial for your farm. GreenStone’s team of dedicated livestock insurance specialists focus solely on working with farmers to help them determine which risk management option is best for them.

When you work with GreenStone, you also gain access to Farm Credit’s exclusive Livestock Insurance Analyzer tool. This tool allows producers to view quotes, request coverage, track endorsements, and stay informed through access to the latest market updates. All this and more can be done right in the palm of your hand through a mobile app!

If you are considering livestock insurance as a part of your farm’s risk-management strategy, the first step is to contact your GreenStone crop insurance or livestock insurance agent. If you are interested in learning more about the options available to you, GreenStone’s team of livestock insurance specialists would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

After having someone come out and spray their crops for a few years, Karisa’s realization hit her. She was fully capable of spraying crops, and why not make a profit if the opportunity was there!

Karisa Bailey has been helping on her partner’s farm for over two decades – from the fruit trees, to cider, and deliveries – she was a part of it all. Now, she’s taking steps to become more involved and assist other operations in the process!

She said they had found the idea of using a drone to spray crops a few years ago and had contacted someone local to try it out on their operation. “I was just in awe watching; I knew I could do that,” Karisa exclaimed.

There are quite a few steps between getting a drone for spraying and being operable. Right now, Karisa is fully licensed but waiting on a few logistical pieces to be 100% in business. Her goal is to spray her partner’s operation and offer the service to other operations local to their area.

While waiting on approval, Karisa was able to use the CultivateGrowth grant to attend the Spray Drone End User Conference. She was able to learn about vegetation management, the importance of adjuvants while spraying, pesticide management, and many other topics. Before the conference Karisa said she was having a hard time choosing which sessions to attend because there were so many great options to choose from. In hindsight she says, “I knew I had a lot to learn, but I was able to get so much great information!”

She was grateful to learn more about starting a business and hearing others share their experiences in the same fields. Karisa noted, “Something that stuck with me was if you look out for your customers first, you’ll have customers for life. If you look out for you first, you won’t have as many customers.”

Karisa is excited to start this new opportunity of spraying fields with her drone and already has plans for her first season spraying. She is ready to hit the ground running once the final requirements are complete!

GreenStone is proud to support individuals like Karisa who are embracing options to propel forward in the agriculture industry. GreenStone aims to provide opportunities for all young, beginning, and small farmers and support their educational and personal growth efforts with our CultivateGrowth grant. To learn more about our CultivateGrowth grant program, click here.

John and Julie Evans had always envisioned a life out in the country. After raising their family in Menasha, WI, they were ready to be surrounded by nature and live the rural lifestyle of their dreams. As avid outdoor enthusiasts, they had purchased a 20-acre lot through GreenStone over 10 years ago. Now they were ready to call their rural getaway home!

The Perfect Landscape

When they first purchased their property, they fell in love with the variety of recreational opportunities the landscape had to offer. As a fervent hunter and fisherman, John was immediately attracted to the 15 acres of both hardwood and pine woods residing on the land. In addition, it also boasted the perfect fishing river running from end to end of the property. For Julie, the natural landscape was the perfect opportunity for enjoying hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and just getting out in nature. The Evanses even enjoyed camping on the land and would make frequent trips up for a weekend getaway.

“We always looked forward to spending time on our land and would dream about the day when we would only be a few steps out our front door away from it instead of the hour and a half commute from our home in Menasha!” said Julie.

When John and Julie had decided they were ready to take the leap and make their country dreams a reality, they sought out the best way to ensure their forever home was exactly what they were envisioning.

“It’s kind of an interesting story how we ended up deciding to build our own home with a DIY construction loan through GreenStone,” explained John. “We started by looking at model homes for inspiration and then ended up going to a builder to customize our home with exactly what we were looking for. However, we knew we wanted to be really hands-on in the process. The only problem with that was, when we went to our traditional lender, they wouldn’t provide the financing for the project since I was going to be acting as the general contractor. That’s when we turned to GreenStone for a second time.”

Planning a Forever Home

Having financed their recreational land with GreenStone years prior, the Evanses decided to reach out once again to see if it would be possible to build their dream home on their own terms.

“When we had financed our land with GreenStone years before, there was no stipulation to build on the land which was perfect for us at the time since we didn’t know exactly what the future would hold and if we would end up being able to build out here,” explained Julie. “We were able to enjoy our land for years, and then when we were ready, GreenStone provided the financing for us to build the home of our dreams in the perfect setting.”

In September of 2024, the Evanses broke ground on their new home. “Once we partnered with GreenStone on the financing of the construction project, it was a smooth process from there,” said John. “When I had originally contacted a traditional lender, there were so many nuances to the process, and we had spent around 3 months trying to get the financing accomplished. That’s when I decided to give Ann a call.”

“When John and Julie came to GreenStone for the financing of their new home, we were able to get them approved right away,” said Ann Klemp, vice president of lending out of GreenStone’s Clintonville branch.

“It was a really smooth process from start to finish,” commented Christina Stants, the Evanses’ construction disbursement specialist at GreenStone. “John and Julie were great to work with, and they knew exactly what they wanted so that made it easy for us.”

As the general contractor of the project, John was able to be involved with every detail of the construction process. “When you have a contractor doing everything for you, you don’t have complete control over the construction process and every detail going into the house,” explained Ann. For John and Julie, it was important for their new home to include the features they had been dreaming of for so long.

A Dream Come True

In January of 2025, they completed the construction of their long-awaited rural dream home. The house stands overlooking the woods, with plenty of room in the back yard for turkey, deer, and other wildlife to roam in. With an 18-foot vaulted ceiling, open-concept floor plan, and enormous living room windows with an outstanding view of the property, it’s clear why John and Julie originally fell in love with the land all those years ago. The home features rustic finishes such as solid wood doors, knotty pine trim, and hickory cabinets.

 

One of the must-haves when building their home included John’s “man cave” downstairs, the perfect place to display all those trophy deer he’s collected over the years hunting on their property!

For Julie, her favorite part of the home is the living room windows. “I love just coming out here in the morning with all the natural light coming in. The view is fantastic, and I’m excited to get to see the landscape change with the seasons each year.”

John and Julie are also looking forward to beekeeping on their new property for their small honey business. “We keep around 30-50 hives at a time and sell to retailers as well as individuals,” said John. “We’re looking forward to another way we can enjoy doing something we love on our property.”

With so much to enjoy on their property in their new home, John and Julie are sure to make countless memories for years to come.

“We don’t even want to go anywhere else now,” laughed John. “We used to dream about the day when we would never have to leave here,” added Julie. “It used to be we would come out here on the weekends to make memories, but now those days are every day for us. It’s like a dream come true!”

 

To view the spring 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

Tyson Lemon

Regional VP of Sales and Customer Relations
20 years of Service

What is your favorite part about your role?

I really enjoy our team here at GreenStone and the financial services officers I get to work with on a daily basis. Our team works hard to help people build or buy that dream home or property, and I love being a part of that process and creatively finding solutions to make a customer’s dream become a reality.

How does your role support GreenStone’s mission of supporting our rural communities?

I get to work with a great team of people helping our members make their rural dreams come true. Providing financing for rural homeowners or landowners helps strengthen and build up our rural communities.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during your time working in the country home financing industry

During my time with GreenStone’s home lending team, I have learned there are many types of unique requests we can work with in order to help finance a customer’s dream home or plot of land. I have seen loan requests for everything from large tracts of land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to one-of-a-kind barndominiums or simple ranch houses.

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Jim Nowak

VP & Managing Director of Country Living Sales
20 years of Service

What is something most people don’t know about the country living segment?

Do-it-yourself (DIY) construction financing is probably our most significant niche in the marketplace. DIY construction is something most banks, credit unions and mortgage companies are not interested in financing. However, GreenStone has been offering this type of lending for decades and our members have had much success with it.

How does your role support GreenStone’s mission of supporting our rural communities?

Obviously, agricultural financing is at the core of what we do; however, the part-time farmers, hobby farmers, and rural residents are valuable members of the communities we serve as well. By providing financing for rural homes, construction projects, home sites and vacant land, we assist in keeping economic activity strong and vibrant in our rural communities.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during your time working in the country home financing industry?

Providing great service and a positive customer experience is so key to our success. Happy customers will talk to their friends, family and co-workers, leading to numerous referrals, and they will also come back to us for their next loan!

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Mike Niesyto

Regional VP of Sales and Customer Relations
14 years of Service

What is something most people don’t know about the country living segment?

Our service is the best in the industry! As a portfolio lender, the financial services officer the borrower works with on their loan will be the same person they talk to in the future if they need anything. In other words, our loan officers are relationship managers. They work in tandem with our loan processors to deliver a personalized service. Other lenders are focused on the transaction, whereas we’re focused on the people, both in the moment and down the road. An overall customer satisfaction rate above 95% is dramatically higher than our competition. That’s a testament to our people and how attentive they are to the customers and their needs.

What is your favorite part about your role?

Working with our talented team of loan officers. We have such a diverse group when it comes to experience levels, backgrounds, and career paths that all lead to great collaboration. That collaboration ultimately delivers a quality product to our customers. At the end of the day, it’s about delivering a positive experience and helping people live their dreams. From dream land to dream home and everything in between, we’re here to serve our marketplace and be a part of making their dreams become a reality. That’s what drives me day in and day out.

How does your role support GreenStone’s mission of supporting our rural communities?

I get to work with our lenders on any challenges they face throughout their day. My job at its core is to empower the team to do what’s right for our customers and help them navigate any challenges they’re facing. Every day and every challenge are unique. We collectively problem solve to get loans approved and closed, which ultimately supports the flow of funding to the rural communities that our borrowers enjoy.

 

To view the spring 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

As the weather warms and days grow longer, spring offers a perfect opportunity to step away from screens and enjoy the outdoors! Reducing screen time not only benefits physical and mental health, but strengthens family bonds and fosters creativity. Health experts say screen time at home should be less than two hours a day for adults and children, and here’s a few different ways to help you and your family reduce screen time this spring!

Start by having a family conversation to discuss screen time and to set limits and goals. Chat about what your screen time currently looks like, and what is your family total is per week. Seeing where your family is with their screen time will help you all decide on daily or weekly goals and sets a baseline. Setting goals based on current behavior will help everyone feel motivated to achieve them. Using parental controls or apps to monitor usage will help each member to stay accountable. You could even create designated screen-free zones, like the dining room or bedrooms, to promote more face-to-face interaction.

The spring weather could be a great opportunity for outdoor adventures! Planning a family hike, bike ride, picnic, or trip to the park are great ways to explore the area you live and encourage your family to enjoy the sunlight. Gardening, playing sports, or even walking the dog can provide a fun and active alternative to screen-based entertainment.

On rainy days, reaching for the craft box is a way to get creative and stay true to your goals. Hands-on activities such as puzzles, crafting, cooking, and reading can be great ways to spend time together without leaving the house! Starting a family project where everyone can contribute can be a wonderful way to get each member involved. Something like building a birdhouse, creating an art display, or a family version of your favorite board game are great examples!

Leading your family by example is a key factor to decreasing your overall screentime. Taking charge in holding yourself and your family accountable will help model these new healthy habits. Celebrate milestones in your screen time journey as you hit them to reward consistent efforts with fun screen free activities. A family camping trip, pizza night, or beach day could be fun rewards to highlight how much your family has grown!

Decreasing the amount of time we spend on screens can be difficult, but not impossible. These tips can help you and your family explore new ways to have less screen time this spring. By being intentional with screens, getting outside, and diving into creativity, families can build stronger connections and create lasting memories while building a healthier lifestyle!

 

To view the spring 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

As the second term of President Donald Trump begins, we know for certain that there will be changes in governance. The ultimate effect of his unconventional approach to the presidency on businesses, including the agriculture industry, is yet to be determined. On one hand, there is a push to deregulate and downsize the government. On the other hand, some of the cabinet picks could pose challenges to agriculture. With the unprecedented pressures on agriculture to produce more, we cannot stifle innovation.

The President has made it clear that he will focus on reducing regulations across the board. An Executive Order (EO) on January 31, 2025, reads in part, “whenever an agency promulgates a new rule, regulation, or guidance, it must identify at least 10 existing rules, regulations, or guidance documents to be repealed.” How will the deregulation ambitions square with his appointees?

Cabinet Appointments

The juxtaposition of the President’s plans against the atypical group of cabinet appointees should make for some interesting policy debates in the next four years. One of those appointees, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., (Secretary of Health and Human Services or HHS) is leading the “Make America Healthy Again” or MAHA initiative.

Kennedy was the president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental advocacy group. Waterkeeper opposes the expansion of fossil fuels, which is at odds with the President’s commitment to expand fossil fuels.

From Breakthrough Journal on December 13, 2024: “Altogether, an RFK-led HHS has the capacity to make life harder for agricultural producers, decrease food production, and increase food prices for the American consumer, all in the name of conspiratorial thinking and a poor understanding of both agronomy and economics. It will be important for Senators from agricultural states to oppose RFK’s nomination to head HHS.”

The article further states that Mr. Kennedy can alter pesticide use, curb biotechnology innovation, and potentially challenge Genetically Modified (GM) products already on the market. They also state that “he could still bring significant negative consequences for U.S. farmers and consumers.”

The President’s appointment of Ed Russo as Environmental Task Force Advisor is another atypical appointment for a Republican. In a recent webinar, he stated, “So farming is, I hope I’m not insulting anybody, but farming, believe it or not, is the biggest polluter in the world. Sorry, it’s just a fact.”

The EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin said he anticipates cutting 65% of the EPA staff. This approach is in line with President Trump’s first term, which focused less on command and control and more on cooperative federalism. At the same time, Mr. Zeldin has expressed concerns about climate change, and while a member of Congress, he voted twice in favor of legislation to address per- and polyflouralkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS continues to be an important and potentially-consequential issue for agriculture (see Partners Fall 2023 and Fall 2024).

How Mr. Zeldin plans to address PFAS or climate concerns with reduced staff remains to be seen.

Unleashing Innovation

Over the years, we have covered agriculture’s largely unrecognized, remarkable accomplishments (see, for example, Partners October 2022). As our global population continues to grow, we must embrace and not handcuff innovation, especially in agriculture.

While we have experienced inflation in the past few years, as of 2022, in the United States, the share of expenditure spent on food versus total consumer expenditure was 6.7% (food bought for consumption at home). The next closest nation is Australia at 9.3%. Other countries spend 10% to as much as 59% of their income on food (Our World in Data).

Several factors allow us to use our money on pursuits other than basic nutrition. Make no mistake; the innovations in agriculture are indispensable for human flourishing.

The remarkable work of Norman Borlaug (The Green Revolution) in the 1950s using plant breeding techniques saved an estimated one billion lives globally. Innovations have continued over the years with the use of disease and drought-resistant crops.

These improvements, largely unrealized by most in society have continued. Consider that between 1910 and 2020, the U.S. population grew from approximately 90 million to more than 330 million. During the same period, agriculture more than quadrupled its output while requiring less labor. In 1900, 41% of Americans worked in agriculture; now, it is less than 2% (Breakthrough Journal).

Agriculture uses approximately 80% of the water in the western United States. However, for perspective consider that in California (which accounts for one-third of the vegetables and three-fourths of the nuts in the US), agricultural water use in 2015 was 14% less than in 1980, while economic output from farming was up 38%.

Innovative water management practices are evident in Las Vegas as well. Total water use has fallen by 26 billion gallons since 2002 even as they have added nearly one million new residents (Human Progress, September 21, 2022).

Agriculture, like all businesses, faces many environmental challenges. For agriculture, some of the more immediate concerns include managing nutrients and avoiding impacting groundwater and surface water. The PFAS issue, especially in biosolids and source water, will continue to be one of the more significant challenges for agriculture.

Business as usual is not likely what we will see over the next four years. Regardless of the administration, it is always a good practice to keep a pulse on developing agricultural/ environmental policies. As the administration focuses on Making America Great Again and Making America Healthy Again, we need to be part of the discussion to keep agriculture great.

 

To view the spring 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

Wait a minute… wait a minute… wait a minute…

So much is in flux. It all seems so dramatic and there is a yearning for settling down to stability. Stability in the economy, public policy, market prices, and culture is yearned for as families in rural and urban environments face seemingly unprecedented challenges. Yet in these times we must make important decisions for our unique situation.

When you face an important moment calling for you to decide, you hope you have all the information and experience in front of you to make an informed decision. For example, a simple seed planting decision may not be so simple, but once you decide upon the seed to plant and roll forward with execution of your plan, you turn the page and go.

The U.S., and many other nations, appear to be in a transition economy. The debt burden of the U.S. is being addressed which has brightened the lights on many different challenges. With 87 Executive Orders issued by President Trump as of March 6, 2025, (compared to President Biden issuing 162 in total of which 62 were revoked by President Trump), we all can settle into an environment where times are rapidly changing. Front and center of changing times are tariffs. For us and our members, we are alerted to how agriculture businesses may be impacted.

Tariffs is not an easy subject with the brightest of lights upon them. Maybe our leaders will finally get to the point of resolving the age-old policy of the “Chicken Tax”. The “Chicken Tax” is a 25% tariff on imported light trucks (and originally on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy) imposed by the U.S. in 1964, in retaliation for tariffs placed by France and West Germany on U.S. chicken exports. And yes, the Chicken Tax still exists as a curious solution to trade issues. Creative circumvention of the tariff is amusing and worth a deeper look into the six-decade long policy.

Traditions, past practices, routines and habits often dictate our ways of deciding and acting.  With all the current forces of change, it sometimes feels we are in a constant state of fight and fright with long term implications for our families on every decision. This is a yearning for stability, predictability and certainty, but that seems far off as the U.S. addresses the burden of debt. GreenStone members understand the challenges of managing debt at their levels. It is recognized that the need is there to be responsible on the federal and state level as well.

Together we grow, adjust, and change to be part of the progress for a better future. Certainly, most every good person believes in doing good and choosing ways best for the interests of themselves and others. By bringing intelligence and truth we can all find the best ways to serve our common cooperative interests.

Communication with strength and courage will be required to forge a solid future path. As we work together for our common cooperative interests to meet the mission of each member, we look to enforce accountability of each leader that has been chosen to serve and sort through the noises and biases that might seek to divide or undermine agriculture or rural community interests. The newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture shoulders the burden for agriculture policy in the executive branch. Her commitment is clear as she stated: “Every day, I will fight for American farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community. Together, we have a historic opportunity to revitalize rural America and to ensure the U.S. agriculture remains the best in the world for generations to come.”

 

To view the spring 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

From the field to the food on our table. While some face challenges, others celebrate successes, and on both fronts your cooperative is working to ensure we’re providing the proactive support and foundational stability to assist customers through it all.

We asked two directors to share their perspective on the discussions occurring in the board room with your management team. These directors had been serving on your GreenStone board of directors, yet going forward will be offering perspective on two different boards. While Peter remains on GreenStone’s Board of Directors, in March Mike Timmer was elected to and transitioned to the AgriBank board of directors. Their account of GreenStone’s priorities and actions emphasize your cooperative’s proactive, committed culture to work with customers through challenging times, providing superior customer service and satisfaction, all while ensuring we remain a reliable partner for our customers for years to come.

As a board we are very focused on many facets.

Our board meetings generally last two days with committee meetings, reports from management, and board action items that generally include policy items and things like Patronage! Discussions and priorities include a positive customer experience and satisfaction, the financial health of the industries that our customers are coupled with, as well as credit quality of the association members.

We examine how changes in interest rates impact our customers and their businesses. Annually, we utilize a stress test model where we dive into worst case scenarios for our customers and GreenStone to ensure we have enough capital and capacity to continue with our mission.

We are also hyper-focused on information technology and house technology for several other associations with our CTC technology collaboration. This allows us to lead the industry in security of our shareholders in an ever-changing landscape that we must stay ahead of. The cyber environment is rapidly changing, and we are focused on staying ahead of the threats with technology, training, and personnel.

Audits are also a focus: external, internal, regulatory, as well as audit framework for long term success.

In addition, as chair of the compensation committee, I am acutely aware of our employee retention and satisfaction ratings. I am a firm believer we are only as strong as our weakest link and highly value our staff and their well-being.

As a former young farmer (I turned 40 last summer), I have a passion for our young, beginning and small farmer programs and always want to make sure it is successful, collaborative and an open door for our beginning producers.

These are just a few examples of some of the topics we focus on as a board. I hope our members have the confidence in our cooperative today and into the future as we fulfill the mission of Farm Credit in good times and challenging times. Our Board of Directors are fully invested in the success of our organization for our shareholders. Our focus stays clear: the long-term success and health of our cooperative.

The GreenStone board of directors works closely with executive management to maintain adequate levels of capital and focus on efficiencies that reduce costs for the association.  These efforts have consistently allowed GreenStone to meet the needs of the diverse loan portfolio that it strives to support. This diversity helps the association remain strong through the financial cycles in the industry. While some segments may be struggling, others are looking to expand or increase market share during their good times. GreenStone must keep the financial stability and capital necessary to meet the needs of all the market segments in its portfolio.

GreenStone is here to help you reach your goals and be a constructive financial partner.  Some of the tools you can utilize are the GreenStone accounting and tax services, as well as the crop and livestock insurance programs.  GreenStone has worked diligently to strengthen these services. During these times of slim margins, it is so important to know your costs, estimate income potential, and minimize risks. Whether you need help gathering good financial information for your operation or need to discuss how GreenStone can help you minimize risk and develop marketing plans using crop and livestock insurance, GreenStone has the staff and expertise to help.

GreenStone wants to build relationships with our members you can trust to be there during the challenging times and prosper with in the good times!

 

To view the spring 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.