Are you a young, beginning, or small farmer, looking to develop your dreams further? GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth program can be the right fit for you.
Devon Rosebrugh, a Financial Services Officer in Traverse City, said “I’ve seen the program be so beneficial for folks who just want to go out and get these certifications or even just learn a little bit more about the industry they’re a part of.” Like Devon said, just a little bit of growth can propel any operation forward.
Each year GreenStone awards grants up to $1,000 for current customers and up to $500 for non-customers. Devon has seen grants used for cider making, business certifications, or even GreenStone’s tax and accounting services. To use the grant, it must fall under our intended use categories like agricultural education events, first time use of GreenStone resources such as tax services, or non-GreenStone services like farm consultants. The grant program offers a multitude of different opportunities tailored to fit exactly what you and your operation are looking for.
GreenStone has also designed an emerging loan program for producers. This program is useful when it is not cost-effective to obtain an FSA guarantee, or you do not have a personal guarantor readily available. This program can offer up to $100,000 in operating loans and $100,000 in long-term financing. Having an emerging loan and attending educational programs or events can bring down your interest rate by 0.50% upon completion!
We know some of the most valuable education can come from those around you. That’s why we also have an 18-month mentorship program where a mentor and mentee are placed together to learn from one another. As a mentee, you can have the opportunity to learn key industry dynamics and networking with many individuals in your same industry. This program includes site visits to both operations with multiple opportunities to connect and conversate. We are kicking off our next mentorship now and cannot wait to see what experience is gained!
Devon concluded, “After customers begin the different aspects of the CultivateGrowth program, I hear about how much it impacts them. It’s nice to have a program like that at GreenStone.” To learn more about our CultivateGrowth program click here.
Can you build your own home yourself with a DIY construction loan from GreenStone? The simple answer is yes! There are many different options when it comes to making your dream build a reality. Dive into the possibilities a DIY construction loan with GreenStone gives you when it comes to the building process.
With the housing market remaining competitive due to ongoing low inventory, more and more people are opting to build rather than buy. But what does a DIY loan mean exactly, and do you have to handle all the contracting and labor yourself? The answer is no! When it comes to a DIY loan with GreenStone, you can build your own home and decide how hands-on you want to be with the project. Whether you want to act as your own general contractor, subcontract everything out, or something in between, GreenStone’s team will work with you to customize your project to fit your needs.
Working with a Builder
There are many benefits of working with a builder on your home construction project. The first being your builder will act as your general contractor, meaning they will coordinate the delivery of materials needed, work with vendors, and schedule the timeline of the build. If you are someone with a busy schedule who won’t be able to put the necessary time into your home build project to have it completed by the deadline, then working with a builder on your home is the ideal choice for you.
Another benefit to working with a builder is the peace of mind that comes with having a professional source vendors and utilize their resources. Builders have a broad network of subcontractors at their fingertips, and that can be very useful should you need to find a new vendor unexpectedly!
One downside of working with a builder is having less control over the project. If you prefer to be very hands-on throughout the build process, working with a builder for the entire project may not be the best choice for you.
Acting as Your Own General Contractor
If you’re prepared to handle the challenges that could arise during the building process and are willing to take on the work yourself, you might want to consider acting as your own general contractor. If you have expertise in areas like construction plumbing, electrical work, or other skilled trades you can complete those tasks yourself in your new build while also contracting out other work to subcontractors. Whatever work you want to handle for your new build, it’s your call.
Most commonly, those who opt for a DIY build will handle a portion of the labor and then choose to contract out jobs they are less experienced in, such as the site preparation, septic work, or pouring the foundation, and focus on their skills such as finishing the interior of the house themselves.
As a general contractor, you need to consider whether you have the time and resources to manage all the subcontractors, handle payments, and oversee the construction loan. When you’re the general contractor, you’re solely responsible—no one else will step in to help.
You’ll be in charge of resolving any unexpected issues, such as when a subcontractor cancels or can’t make it to the site on time. If that happens, you may have to find and hire a new subcontractor quickly, which can take a lot of time and effort to coordinate. Do you want to do all, some, or none of the labor? It’s best to determine beforehand what you are willing to take on before you start the project.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
When it comes to a successful DIY home build, one of the most important things you can do to ensure a smooth project is give your lender as much information as possible as soon as you can. The more detail you can provide on your project and the more definitive decisions you can make upfront, the easier the process will be. Going into the project knowing the amount of bedrooms you plan to build, the square footage, and other details that affect the scope of the project will help your lender more accurately assess what your needs are.
GreenStone’s dedicated team of home construction experts are here to answer any questions you might have on a DIY construction loan! Contact your local branch today to get started on turning your dream floor plans into a reality!
This year marks an exciting milestone for GreenStone Farm Credit Services and its members on Patronage Day. For 20 consecutive years, the cooperative has given back a significant portion of its profits to its member-owners through the Patronage program. This year, GreenStone is set to return another $120 million, making total Patronage returns over the last 20 years over $1 billion back into the hands of GreenStone members.
As a part of a cooperative, members directly benefit from GreenStone’s strong financial position.
“Our members are the heart of our success. Patronage payments are a true reflection of this, as the more our cooperative grows, the more our members benefit,” says GreenStone President and CEO Travis Jones. “This year is a significant milestone that showcases our dedication to our members. Not only are we returning another $120 million this year while celebrating over $1 billion back in total Patronage payments, but for 20 consecutive years, we have been able to share profits with our member-owners as we continue to grow with them.”
To commemorate this momentous occasion, GreenStone invites its members to join them for an event at their local branch on March 20 to celebrate this significant member benefit of more than $1 billion back over the 20 years of the program. Patronage Day events will include refreshments, fun and the distribution of Patronage checks.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with our members,” said Jones. “It truly is a testament to the relationships we have with built with our members and we look forward to showing our appreciation for them through our Patronage Day events.”
GreenStone remains committed to giving back to the rural communities it serves. You can find more information about GreenStone’s Patronage program here.
GreenStone is pleased to announce two new members to its capital markets team, Chris Allsteadt and Mike Frodermann!
Chris (pictured above left) brings a wealth of knowledge with him to GreenStone, with over 20 years of experience exclusively devoted to the growth of agribusinesses. Before joining GreenStone, he most recently worked as the Director of Credit at CoBank for nearly 15 years covering the Corporate Agribusiness Division.
Chris is eager to continue to grow and diversify GreenStone’s portfolio and create an even more sustainable business for the benefit of our stakeholders and shareholders. As a member-owned cooperative, the success of our member-owners is our success!
For Chris, bringing out the best in his team is the key to success. “What I enjoy most about my role is supporting our team and bringing out all of their unique skillsets and personalities in a way that contributes towards our overall growth,” says Chris. “I enjoy watching our team grow personally and professionally. To me, it’s the little things that are important. I love what I do and enjoy supporting the mission of Farm Credit and advocating for our associations, industries, and banking partners.”
In what free time he has, Chris stays active and enjoys a variety of hobbies including fitness, golf, snowboarding, playing chess, and even learning to speak Spanish!
Mike (pictured above right) joined the GreenStone team in December 2024 in the role of Senior Vice President – Portfolio Risk Management. He comes to GreenStone with over 27 years of progressive experience in the financial sector, most recently serving as the Senior Vice President – Credit & Operations on the capital markets team at AgCountry CFG. Mike attended the University of Minnesota – Morris where he earned his BA in Economics and Management, then advanced his professional career by having various positions in the leasing, commercial equipment finance, corporate lending, and ABL sectors.
In his new role as SVP – Portfolio Risk Management Mike is looking forward to continuing to identify emerging eligible market opportunities with a focus on providing sound, constructive, and reliable credit to all eligible customer–owners of our lending cooperative. Mike will be actively involved in the development of strategic direction and the coordination of operational management of association portfolio risk management for all market segments, directing Agribusiness Lending credit activities, and chairing the Executive, Capital Markets, and Agribusiness Lending Credit Committees.
Mike is a Minnesota native and currently lives in suburban Minneapolis with his wife Katie and their three children. When not working or at a sporting event, Mike enjoys travel, fishing, and occasionally going to his parents’ farm to get his hands dirty.
To view the winter 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
March 2025 marked two exciting milestones for GreenStone members on Patronage Day. Not only was it the 20th consecutive year of sharing our profits with our members, but we also returned a total of $1 billion back into your hands throughout those 20 years! That’s a lot of dollars!
Exactly how big is 1 billion you might ask? Well to put it into perspective, we thought we’d share some examples with you:
- 1 billion gallons of milk would fill approximately 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- There are just under a billion acres of protected recreational land in the U.S. to get out and enjoy!
- A herd of 1 billion cows would require more land than the entire United States.
- 1 billion trees could build approximately 23 million average-size houses
But most important are the countless smiles, handshakes, relationships, and dreams we’ve been lucky enough to help make a reality for over a century. The success of our members is the “why” behind what we do, and we are truly grateful to be able to share our earnings with you for the 20th consecutive year.
To celebrate 20 years of Patronage, we returned $120 million in Patronage dividend checks to eligible loan customers on March 20, 2025! Each Patronage-earning member received a notification letter in mid-February outlining the amount of their check. That letter also included a personal invitation to join us for a celebration on March 20, 2025, at their local branch. Members enjoyed refreshments, a celebration of our 20 year and $1 billion milestones, and of course, had the opportunity to pick up their check.
Patronage is a partnership. Our ability to give back to you, our member-owners, is the direct result of your success and your relationship and trust in GreenStone.
To view the winter 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
As we contemplate another year of agriculture production focused on our individual and collective roles as part of the food system, our preparation, planning and planting is heavy on our minds. Will we all win together in this critical profession of agriculture? What are the dependencies we have that will make a difference in our outcomes? These questions have to be part of our thinking. Defining the “win” will likely be difficult and different for each of us, yet we all must work together.
One critical dependency is agriculture public policy. While we finished 2024 without the completion of the Farm Bill that many hoped would have addressed significant public policy issues and modernize aspects of what producers require and provide some level of certainty in the marketplace, all hope is not lost. We get to try again in 2025 to develop sound policy to advance our common mission with a new Farm Bill.
Bob Seger said it best in his 1982 song “Roll Me Away” with his lyric: “Gotta keep rollin’, got to keep ridin’, keep searchin’ till I find what’s right. And as the sunset faded I spoke to the faintest first starlight and said ‘next time we’ll get it right.’” Sooner or later we all come to realize this truth: we are in this together, and together we can get it right. Education and communication are premium attributes to accomplish agriculture togetherness.
There have been some critical gaps in the education and communication which have reached some bubbling points recently. The permitting of animal agriculture operation, the science of anaerobic digesters, understanding the real costs of labor, and environmental policy on water usage has been the centerpiece of this gap, to name a few. This has created a level of uncertainty in how professional agriculture producers may be sustained or grow their farms to serve the needs of consumers. When contemplating these issues, it feels as if agriculture is getting prevented.
Reflecting on where we are and how we got here provokes a diversity of opinions based upon individual experiences, your roll in the agriculture industry or how you view the political discourse. An individual opinion may have at their root a strong and reasoned based view from real life experiences. These opinions could be the start of divisions among agriculture interests and could lead to conflict. The conflict could be unintended, but nonetheless a sticking point. The whole pile of diversity of opinions demands a level of leadership that can balance the topics to land on the best overall outcome.
Educating leading policy makers is crucial toward that overall outcome as a bridge to agriculture togetherness. Standing together with diverse agriculture interests strengthens the mission and will halt the prevention of advancing agriculture. This may be the change that is called for as agriculture practices, and the demands upon farming, change as well. Science and technology advance for agriculture and while farmers may embrace these changes to meet the business challenges, if policy makers do not engage, listen and learn, agricultural will stagnate. The above centerpieces of this gap have demonstratively damaged economic aspects of agriculture. Overcoming these economic damages takes a change in the manner industry engages in educating and communicating. Alternative action would be to accept the decisions of policy makers without engagement.
The GreenStone team does its best to balance its efforts in the education and communication process to preserve and advance the cooperative mission to be the first choice for financial services for its members and the communities we serve as part of the Farm Credit System mandates. It can be tricky at times because of the wide diversity of opinions. However, the focus is always on building agriculture togetherness for the overall win for the industry.
We do this through our voluntary political action committees (PAC) engagements with a regular drumbeat of communication activities. Sometimes we may define a win as making it to next year, and we’re going to make it to next year. That is not enough for long term survival. There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty now with what’s going on, and there certainly is uncertainty with a new administration and new USDA. Now will be the time to rally in our efforts to educate and communicate to provide a better chance than the recent past.
For example, President Trump in his second term has suggested taking a path toward streamlining regulations that have been a burden to farmers and address the immigration issue. While this second term will be just beginning, there does not appear to be any interest in shying away from tough issues. Educating and communicating on these tough issues, including those mentioned above (animal agriculture, anaerobic digestors, labor and water), on both federal and state levels, will be crucial. The PACs that GreenStone has in place are key tools toward advancement.
Participation by all GreenStone supporters will be critical to advance agriculture in this rapidly changing environment in both fields of planting crops and public policy. That would be a win for agriculture. We got to keep rolling.
To view the winter 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
As a cooperative, GreenStone is owned by its member stockholders and governed by an elected Board of Directors representing all areas of our territory. Our board meets throughout the year to provide direction and leadership oversight to our organization.
Before a member can be elected to the board, our Nominating Committee identifies, evaluates, and nominates a qualified slate of member candidates for stockholder election. The Nominating Committee holds a very pivotal role in determining who provides leadership to our association.
If you’re interested in furthering GreenStone’s role as an industry leader for agriculture and our rural communities, serving on the Nominating Committee might be a great opportunity for you!
Who Can Apply for the Nominating Committee?
The main duty of the Nominating Committee is to seek out and identify qualified individuals who are willing to serve as directors or nominating committee members. Those interested in serving on the Committee must:
- Be a voting GreenStone stockholder
- Have an outstanding loan balance with GreenStone
- Not be a current candidate for the Board of Directors
- Reside or have a headquarters within GreenStone’s chartered territory
What Makes a Good Candidate?
The most important quality of a Nominating Committee member is your eagerness to get involved and advance the association forward. By putting the right people in place, GreenStone and our members both experience long-term growth that makes an impact.
Are you a GreenStone member who’s passionate about finding the right people to represent our organization? Click here to learn more about applying for the Nominating Committee and submit your application to be considered!
To view the winter 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
Mark Klett
Senior Crop Insurance Specialist
15 years of Service
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I really enjoy visiting and getting to know my customers. Over time I really get to know their operation, and in many cases the individual crop fields that are on their minds. I enjoy taking the time to help them understand how crop insurance works so we can work together to find the right solution for their unique operation.
What made you interested in pursuing a career in crop insurance?
My entire career has been dedicated to helping farmers grow and their operations thrive. Through my experience working in crop insurance, I’m able to put my knowledge to work to help farmers succeed.
How does your role support GreenStone’s mission of supporting rural communities and agriculture?
My role directly helps farmers protect their investment in their operations. Providing a risk management solution that is unique to each farm or operation helps ensure their success and longevity.
What is one thing people may not know about crop insurance?
One thing I think most people would be surprised to learn is that a large majority of the fields you drive by each day are insured. The way that we determine coverage levels for crops has also become very sophisticated in order to help make an accurate calculation of the level of coverage that would suit your operation best.
Scott Schmidt
Crop Insurance Manager
12 years of Service
What do you enjoy most about your role?
My favorite part of my role is getting to meet and talk to local farmers. Farmers love to talk, and so do I! I find there’s no shortage of knowledge they have to share.
What made you interested in pursuing a career in crop insurance?
I grew up on a cash crop farm in Kawkawlin, MI. Growing up I spent my spring, summer, and fall playing sports rather than helping my dad on the farm. I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for our agricultural community and this opportunity was a great way for me to get involved. Now I spend a couple weeks every fall helping my dad and brother during harvest time. I like to think I am getting the best of both worlds!
How does your role support GreenStone’s mission of supporting rural communities and agriculture?
By providing farmers individualized risk management solutions, we have the ability to help give them peace of mind throughout the year so they can focus on the task at hand and running a successful operation. I enjoy helping them find a solution, so they don’t have to worry about what would happen if they experienced a crop failure, hailstorm, or damage to their property.
What is one thing people may not know about crop insurance?
Crop insurance was first introduced in the 1930’s! It’s a tried-and-true financial tool to help mitigate the sometimes-unavoidable risk that comes with farming.
David Moll
Crop Insurance Manager
12 years of Service
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I know, even when the worst weather or market events happen, that because of the decisions a farmer has made on their crop insurance policy I will be able to help them and their family continue farming and reaching their goals. Over the years, it has been very rewarding helping so many farmers lift some of the stress of not knowing what would happen if they didn’t have crop insurance.
What made you interested in pursuing a career in crop insurance?
I was very interested in helping producers with risk management decisions. It’s a very rewarding experience.
How does your role support GreenStone’s mission of supporting rural communities and agriculture?
With GreenStone’s exclusive Optimum crop insurance tool, producers can make data driven decisions for their operation. When bad weather or market swings cause losses, we are able to help farmers financially, so they can continue to do what they do best: produce food to feed the world.
What is one thing people may not know about crop insurance?
Grain marketing plans and crop insurance are best when used together. Talk to your crop insurance specialist about when to use them to add net revenue to your bottom line.
To view the winter 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
For over a century, GreenStone has remained dedicated to our mission of helping farmers, agribusinesses, rural homebuyers and land seekers achieve their goals and dreams through tailored lending solutions and financial services.
Our CoreFour Values serve as the guiding principles that shape this mission. Customer First, Deliver Quality, Get Involved, and Do the Right Thing are not just words, they are the foundation upon which we build relationships, make decisions, and conduct ourselves in every aspect of our work. Our brand characteristics align with these CoreFour Values and determine how we represent ourselves visually and communicate with you, our member-owners.
To effectively represent how we continue to grow and support our members, you will notice some changes in how we portray ourselves visually through our communications, social media presence, and more. Don’t worry, we’re still the same GreenStone you’ve come to know and trust, just with an updated and refreshed look!
You will see that neither our name nor logo has changed. Rather, updated colors, graphic elements, and messaging are all a part of the brand refresh that kicked off this year. We’re excited for you to engage with our fresh new look, designed to help assure GreenStone maintains a strong relevant presence within the marketplace. We hope you find that GreenStone’s brand refresh illustrates this, and we look forward to continuing to grow with you in 2025 and beyond!
To view the winter 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
What does it mean to be a fourth-generation farmer in today’s agricultural climate? For Tyler Baudhuin of Baudhuin Farms based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, it means having the drive, passion, and determination to continue to grow and prosper what those who came before you started.
“I knew this is what I wanted to do since I was eight years old”, says Tyler. “I’ll never forget the day I missed baling hay with my dad because my mom had to take me in for a doctor’s appointment. I was so upset I missed it. I truly have felt like this has been my calling ever since I can remember.”
The Start of a Family Legacy
Baudhuin Farms was originally purchased by Tyler’s great-grandfather in the 1940’s. He bought it on a foreclosure deal from a Sturgeon Bay bank, with the original property spanning only 120 acres. The farm has remained in the family ever since, and alongside his father David, Tyler has helped grow Baudhuin Farms into the successful operation it is today.
“We currently farm over 900 tillable acres, and are milking around 200 cows every day,” says Tyler. The farm also produces cash crops such as winter wheat and beans, and raises a number of angus beef every year to sell.
As the farm has continued to expand, so has their need for improved infrastructure and better cattle management practices. “We were at the point where we needed to make an investment to improve our everyday practices to become more efficient long term and help our cows reach their full potential,” explained Tyler. “We needed a solution that allowed us to have all of our cattle on site in one location together, and something that would also improve their quality of life.”
A Lifelong Relationship
That’s where GreenStone came in. Now no stranger to working with the Farm Credit association, Tyler laughed as he recalled the first time he met with his financial services officer, now VP of Lending Antonia (Toni) Sorenson, before he was truly committed to the long-term farm business.
“I was about 18 years old at the time and walked into the GreenStone branch in Sturgeon Bay wanting to buy a piece of equipment. I remember she laughed and told me to come back when I had a plan,” he chuckled. “I knew I wanted to farm, but I wasn’t necessarily married to the idea yet.”
A few years later, David had just taken over the farm full-time from his father (Tyler’s grandfather). “At this point I was committed to farming, and knew it was truly what I wanted to do,” he said. He went back to GreenStone, this time intent on purchasing land for the farm. “Toni worked with me on the purchase of the land, and we’ve pretty much worked together ever since,” he says.
Their relationship with GreenStone has only continued to grow over time. “Whenever we need anything, we know we can go to Toni and she has our best interest in mind,” explained Tyler.
Since financing that first plot of land with GreenStone, Tyler and David have trusted GreenStone to support their operation through lending needs, tax and accounting services, and crop insurance, which Tyler advocated for.
“I was the one who brought it up to my dad that this could be a worthwhile investment for us even though we had never really used [crop insurance] before. We looked into it after GreenStone recommended we get coverage, and it has definitely paid off for us. There are some years I look back at and think if we wouldn’t have had the crop insurance coverage, I’m not sure what we would have done. We stick with GreenStone because we know we’re always going to be provided with honest answers about what we do and don’t need,” says Tyler.
Building Towards the Future
Most recently, their construction project for the new free-stall barn and milking parlor is an example of the trust Tyler has working with Toni to find what the best solution for their farm is going to be – even if it takes some time.
The project first came to light around four years ago, with a vision to get all cattle in one location along with building a more efficient cattle housing and milking facility. At the start, Tyler recalls bringing plans to Toni to figure out realistically what the best option for their needs would be.
“We would look at plans and then have to start over again in order to find what was going to have the most impact on our everyday operations as well as what our return on investment would be on it,” Tyler explained. “It’s been about four years in the works to get this project perfected and underway, but we know this is the right solution that is going to help us continue to grow many years into the future.”
The Baudhuins officially broke ground on their new free-stall 300 cow barn and milking parlor in July of 2024.
“It’s really rewarding to see this project come to life and see Tyler continue to live out his family’s legacy,” commented Toni. “I’m really proud of what he has accomplished and it’s so exciting to see where the future of their farm is headed. I’m looking forward to watching them continue to grow!”
The new barn and milking parlor are expected to be completed in the spring of 2025. “The completed construction project will allow for better footing to promote cow hoof-health, improved air quality, and an overall larger and more comfortable facility for not only the cows but the Baudhuins and their employees as well,” added Toni. “Being able to support young farmers such as Tyler and help them achieve their dreams is what it’s all about for me.”
A Sustainable Operation for Years to Come
Tyler’s story isn’t one that didn’t come without its own set of challenges. “There were plenty of days that we asked ourselves if all of this was worth it. At the end of the day, this isn’t just a job for me, or for anyone else who is a farmer. This is a lifestyle.”
Tyler has a great amount of gratitude for his family as they have worked to help him achieve this dream. Tyler appreciates his dad always doing anything that is needed on the farm, and he continues to learn from his mom, Sue, who has always been instrumental in great calf care. He feels lucky to have parents who are willing to believe and invest in the future of the operation.
Tyler had some words of advice for other young multi-generational farmers when it comes to facing the challenges of the ever-changing agricultural industry. “Listen and learn as much as you can. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Tomorrow is a new day, continue to persevere, and you will be successful.”
Tyler’s story is a testament to the value of what the right partnership can provide – an open line of communication, trust, and a united vision to continue to grow and prosper a family farm so it can stand for generations to come.
To view the winter 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.