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 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 and nominating committee members.

To those interested in serving on the Committee, you must be a voting stockholder of the association, as well as have an outstanding loan balance with GreenStone. Those who are Directors, employees, or agents of GreenStone are not eligible to apply for the Nominating Committee. Those who are current candidates for the Board of Directors cannot serve on the Nominating Committee, however those who have served on the Board in the past are invited to apply for a position on the Committee. Finally, you must reside or have a headquarters within the association’s chartered territory. Nominating Committee members are elected for a one-year term with a maximum of serving for three-consecutive years.

What Makes a Good Candidate

The most important quality of a Nominating Committee member is their 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. “Having direct involvement with your members is very important so you keep the direction of our association and Farm Credit Services moving forward”, says current Nominating Committee member William Lyn Uphaus.

Uphaus himself served on GreenStone’s Board of Directors before joining the Nominating Committee to help identify new members of the board. Nathan Girbach, who is a fifth-generation farmer and also currently serving on GreenStone’s Nominating Committee says, “A lot of the time farmers are so wrapped up in their own operations that it’s hard to remember the importance of being an advocate for the industry too. That’s why it’s so important to get out there and have your voice heard for the good of the industry.”

Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee

Elections to be on GreenStone’s Nominating Committee are held annually. Should you be elected to the Committee, meetings take place 1-3 times a year to review and approve the slate of director candidates. Starting in July, the Nominating Committee in a region with open director positions meet to review the expectations for sourcing and selecting candidates. Then in the fall that same Nominating Committee conducts formal interviews with the identified director candidates to determine who will appear on the ballot come May when the Board of Directors election takes place. The balance of the Nominating Committee members meet in December to select candidates to run for the next year’s open Nominating Committee positions.

Why Apply for the Nominating Committee?

“The whole process for me as a voting member has been very educational,” says Calby Garrison, GreenStone Nominating Committee member. “I would encourage anyone who’s looking to make a difference in this organization get involved.”

Are you a GreenStone member who’s passionate about finding the right people to represent our organization? Submit your application for the Nominating Committee below to be considered!

Nominating Committee Profile Form

As a farmer, the changing seasons bring both challenges and opportunities. Just as you plan your planting and harvest cycles, it’s essential to prepare financially for the year ahead. The new year is right around the corner, and by taking proactive steps now, you can build a solid foundation for a successful and sustainable farming operation in 2025 and beyond.

Here’s a breakdown of how you can ensure you’re ready for what the coming year will bring.

Review and Update Your Balance Sheet

Your farm’s balance sheet is more than just a financial document. It is a snapshot of your operation’s financial health at a specific point in time, often aligned with your tax year-end. A complete balance sheet includes everything your farm owns (assets) and everything your farm owes (liabilities), giving you a clear picture of your farm’s equity position.

Why it matters:

A well-maintained balance sheet helps you understand the financial strengths and weaknesses of your operation, guiding better decision-making for the future. Whether you’re considering a new equipment purchase or expanding your farm’s acreage, your balance sheet can provide the insight you need to proceed with confidence.

Action steps:

• Make it a priority to complete your balance sheet at least once a year. Your lender can provide a balance sheet template that will help you stay organized.
• Use the year-end as an opportunity to schedule an appointment to sit down with your loan officer and compare year-over-year (YOY) balance sheet trends. This review will highlight changes in your equity position and other key financial indicators.
• Examine liquidity—the assets you can easily turn into cash to cover current liabilities. For example, you sell your crop inventory sitting in the bin to pay for January’s loan payments. Strong liquidity will allow you to take advantage of opportunities or manage unexpected expenses.

Plan for Capital Improvements

Farming is an ever-evolving business, and in order to remain competitive and profitable, making capital improvements is often necessary. This could mean purchasing new equipment, overhauling equipment, completing major repairs, remodeling current structures or even acquiring additional land.

Why it matters:

Investing in the right capital improvements can significantly increase the efficiency and profitability of your operation. However, each investment comes with a cost, so it’s essential to assess whether the funds for these improvements will come from earnings or borrowed money.

Action steps:

• Evaluate the areas of your farm that would benefit most from capital improvements. Ask yourself: What will have the greatest impact on my operation’s efficiency and productivity?
• Consider how these improvements will be funded. Will you use your farm’s retained earnings, or will you need to explore loan options with your lender?
• Work closely with your loan officer to understand the best borrowing terms and rates available, ensuring that you balance the need for improvements with maintaining a healthy financial position.

Focus on Profit & Loss (P&L) Management

Your farm’s Profit & Loss statement (P&L) is another vital tool in understanding how well your operation is performing financially. This statement tracks your revenues and expenses over time, helping you evaluate profitability.

Why it matters:

While reviewing the P&L statement on an annual basis is important, keeping an eye on it throughout the year allows you to make adjustments in real-time. Understanding your revenue streams and cost structure ensures that you’re not just breaking even but generating healthy profits.

Action steps:

• Maintain detailed farm record books to track all income and expenses, ensuring that you have the most accurate data possible.
• Identify areas where you may be overspending or where you can reduce costs without sacrificing quality or productivity.
• Use the insights from your P&L statement to refine your budgeting and forecasting for the next year.

Build a Long-Term Plan for Growth

One of the biggest mistakes a farmer might make is to operate without a long-term plan. Each year offers opportunities to grow and improve, but without a clear roadmap, it’s easy to lose sight of your larger goals.

Why it matters:

Having a strategic plan in place will help you make decisions that align with your long-term vision for the farm. Whether you want to expand your operation, improve productivity or enhance sustainability practices, setting goals and milestones for the future is critical to success.

Action steps:

• Create an annual plan that includes both financial and operational objectives. What improvements will you make to the farm? How do you plan to increase efficiency or profitability?
• Review this plan regularly and make adjustments as needed, especially after reviewing your balance sheet, P&L and capital needs.
• Consult with your loan officer to ensure that your growth strategy is both realistic and financially sound.

Finding Support from Your Lender

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re managing a farm, especially when it comes to the financial side of things. However, you don’t have to navigate these challenges alone. Your lender can be one of many valuable partners, offering tools and insights to help you succeed.

Why it matters:

Working with your lender to understand your farm’s financial position and future opportunities can help you be prepared to face whatever challenges the coming year may bring.

Action steps:

• Schedule an annual meeting with your loan officer to review your financial statements and discuss upcoming capital improvements.
• Consider resources and support from your lender to help you make decisions that align with your goals.

By taking these proactive steps now, you can have your farming operation financially prepared for 2025. From maintaining a solid balance sheet to making strategic capital improvements, being intentional with your planning will allow you to overcome challenges and seize new opportunities as they arise.

This blog was originally published in Michigan Farm News.

Are you considering buying vacant land? Whether you are purchasing property for hunting, a place to build a future home, or even to expand your hobby farm, there are endless possibilities of how you can use your vacant land. One way to acquire this new dream property is through an auction. There are several auction companies throughout Michigan and Wisconsin that sell vacant land. If you are looking to purchase your vacant land through a land auction, here are some things to think about.

What do I need when buying land through an auction?

Before heading off to an auction, or logging into the auction website, work with a loan officer to get a prequalification and to help determine what your budget is going to be. When meeting with a loan officer there are a few things that you should come prepared with including financial statements, tax returns, and verified asset statements. This process will help instill confidence knowing you are going to purchase property that fits comfortably within your budget!

How can I buy land through an auction?

All auction companies have a set of rules and guidelines you have to take into consideration when buying vacant land. Some companies are cash only, or others require a closing within a certain amount of days. You’ll also want to know if the company requires an earnest money deposit, meaning if the auction requires you to put a certain amount down before closing to show that you are serious about the transaction. Earnest money deposits go towards your money down at closing as well. Making note of each of these guidelines ahead of time will help provide you the clarity to make the process easier for you to enjoy.

How can I be prepared for a land auction?

Before purchasing your desired property, do some research in the area, and if you are interested in building on the land, you should also double check the rules and regulations that come with potentially building. What are the specific permits you will need? Does the township have building requirements? Is the property accessible from the road? Do you need a legal easement to get to it and if so, are you working with a lender that will finance land-locked property like GreenStone does?

If you are looking to use the property for recreational use or doing some hobby farming, make sure to understand what is the average price per acre is in the area, how much is farm rent, and are there any agricultural affidavits or forestry to take into consider?

Having the answers to these types of questions will help you know if it is the right property for you!

Do I need to visit the property beforehand?

Although it is not required to visit the property before you buy it, it is suggested. What better way to get to know the area than to see it firsthand? Besides, it will be great to imagine where you might want to put your tree stand or build the cabin! If you are looking to use the property for farm ground, it will be valuable to see what the current state of crops looks like, what is planted there currently, how well they are growing, and are there any wet spots. This type of information will be important determining factors into whether or not you should purchase the property.

There are a few extra things to consider when purchasing vacant land when through an auction like auction guidelines, knowing your budget, and property research. Being prepared by doing some research and working with a lender will help you feel more confidence in the experience and make the process easier to purchase your dream property!

GreenStone’s team of experienced experts are ready to finance your land auction find. Find our recreational land loan options here.

Interested in enhanced coverage for your crops to help mitigate risk on your farm? Here’s what you need to know about Enhanced Coverage Option, referred to as ECO, as a fruit producer to receive more insurance coverage options than ever before.

What is Enhanced Coverage Option?

You may be wondering, what is enhanced insurance coverage? Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is an area-based band of coverage that attaches to your existing eligible crop insurance policy. ECO provides two coverage option levels from 86-90%, and from 86-95% depending on your specific needs. ECO was developed by the USDA to provide producers with higher levels of coverage at a more affordable rate. “What makes ECO different from other coverage options is that it provides great shallow loss coverage at a reasonable premium,” says Cory Blumerick, crop insurance manager at GreenStone Farm Credit Services. “Because of this, it may benefit producers to consider this band of coverage in conjunction with their underlying ActualProduction History (APH) policy to more effectively manage their risk.”

Why Fruit Growers Should Consider ECO in 2025

Enhanced Coverage Option for fruit growers is now available. Starting in 2025, apple, grape, and blueberry growers will all be eligible for ECO in the state of Michigan. Here’s why you should consider it.

The growing season for fruit producers in Michigan is notoriously volatile with many growers across the state finding themselves in various loss situations every year. For those without ECO, producers can sustain considerable damage in their production area before their individual policy indemnifies. With ECO however, fruit producers can receive a payment when the production area (typically county) has either a 5%, or 10% (depending on elected coverage level) decrease in expected production, even if they are individually experiencing a bumper crop that year.

ECO for apple, grape, and blueberry fruit crops is available in Yield Protection form only. Certain commodity crops such as corn and soybeans also have a Revenue Protection form of ECO available. ECO is an option that is elected during fruit sales close, which is November 20th every year in Michigan.

ECO is subsidized at a 65% level, meaning the federal government pays 65% of the premium, while the producer is responsible for the remaining 35%. This makes ECO a cost-effective option to insure for shallow losses.

How Does ECO Insurance Work?

ECO is based on your production area’s (typically county) expected yield, instead of producers’ individual yields. If your area’s final production falls below the coverage levels of 90-95% depending on the level you have selected with your policy, the indemnity will begin to be paid. If the area’s final production falls below 86% if the expected yield, then the full amount of ECO coverage will be paid out. The claims are paid independently of how your own farm yields, so it is possible to experience a personal loss yet not receive payment from ECO due to the level of county average yield or revenue. 

For example, if you added an ECO policy at 90% coverage to your existing APH apple policy, you would be eligible to receive payment if the area’s final yield fell below 90% of its expected yield.

Note that the expected area yield is based on a 30-year linear trend line and is typically increasing steadily yearly to keep up with planting patterns. GreenStone’s team of crop insurance specialists can help you understand your area’s historical analysis by looking at your area’s ECO performance over the last 30 years.

How Can ECO Be Purchased?

If you are interested in obtaining ECO coverage, the first step is to reach out to your crop insurance specialist to see what band of coverage would benefit your operation most. “In order to obtain an ECO policy, you will need an underlying buy-up policy for apples, grapes, or blueberries. ECO attaches to all crop lines of that insured crop.If the insured elects to add ECO to their policy, it is added onto the fall application,” Cory noted. If you have questions on ECO and if it would be a good fit for your farm, GreenStone’s dedicated team of crop insurance specialists are ready to help answer any questions you might have on howECO coverage can benefit you most.

“I dreamed about creating a farm where we could connect children and young people – those just starting out in life – with really nutritious food and the joy and peacefulness that comes with working outdoors side-by-side with others,” Kristen Muehlhauser shared as she reminisced looking back on the start of her journey in 2007.

Kristen and her husband Adam started at a community garden in Ann Arbor, MI. “That first year the weeds grew higher than the plants, but, to my total amazement, delicious vegetables hid in that jungle and made their way onto our plates.” The couple then added seeded flats to windowsills and continued to add plots every season.

Then, in 2012 the Muehlhauser’s welcomed their first daughter. Kristen shared, “Her delight in the worms, weeds, and wind brought great joy and wonder for me, and made me look for new opportunities to share gardening with children and adults.”

With those experiences in mind, five years ago when their youngest child started school, the Muehlhauser’s began their journey of connecting people to agriculture sustainably. Their farm, Raindance Organic Farm, offers a wide variety of produce, from vegetables, herbs, and flowers to workshops where they share their knowledge with others.

As the farm advanced, Kristen wanted to grow her skills in cut flower production, so she applied and received GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth Grant. Kristin was able to take The Lily Workshop Course where she learned the ins and outs of successful lily production. The couple has recently invested in a new greenhouse in order to increase the scale of lily and other floriculture crops on their operation, which will be ready for use in early 2025.

With what Kristen learned throughout her course, her and Adam decided to run a pilot crop this year with 2700 lilies grown over nine months. GreenStone’s grant was able to help the Muehlhauser’s grow and expand their knowledge to ultimately better their operation. While focused on growing skills, the Raindance Organic Farm is also focused on closing the gap between farm to fork. For the past three growing seasons, all their produce was sold within a 10-mile radius to their farm, making sure they can connect each person and family who purchases their products to the environment it was grown and sharing their love for the land. The Raindance Organic Farm showcases how dreams can become reality when rooted in growth.

Kristen concluded with, “We’re five years into this journey and I’ve learned that small business owners wear many hats and develop diverse skillsets. I love the problem solving. I love connecting with the beautiful humans who are drawn to farms, community, and good food. I love the creative opportunities. Most of all I love that I am doing work that I strongly believe in together with people I love.”

GreenStone is proud to support agriculturalists rooted in growth like Kristen and Adam. We work to provide the educational and financial resources needed to help grow your passion for your operation. To apply for a grant, visit CultivateGrowth Grant.

Peter Lemmer, Executive VP and Chief Legal Counsel, 16 years

What made you want to pursue this career?

It’s important to me to play a role in communicating the importance of the Farm Credit System and promote a good agricultural policy for our rural communities. It’s an honor to represent our GreenStone team!

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The resilience of our members over generations is humbling and inspiring to me. I enjoy any chance I get to learn from our members about what they do and how their family has grown through agriculture. I’m so grateful to all of our members for how they continue to navigate through the challenges of operating their businesses, and how they continue to support their rural communities.

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

GreenStone’s mission is to be the first choice for providing credit and financial services for farmers and rural communities throughout Michigan and northeast Wisconsin as a part of the Farm Credit System. The sustainability of our Farm Credit System is dependent on so many factors working together. Legislative, legal and regulatory matters are the areas I stay laser-focused on to identify and minimize risk and threats to our cooperative’s mission. Communicating our entire value proposition as a cooperative to a wide variety of public and private interests is core to my role to assure members of our sustainability now and in the future.

What are some things most people don’t know about the legislative team and your role?

The duties of the legislative team are essential because of ongoing legal threats to the Farm Credit System. Legal and legislative matters can be divisive and create conflict. It’s important for people to understand how important it is to have a conversation anyway and do it with fairness and compassion to overcome biases that can get built into divisiveness.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy a variety of recreational hobbies, but the ones centered in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan are greatly cherished. We live in the best states in the country in Michigan and Wisconsin, so doing anything here I find to be an unparalleled blessing.

Becky Taylor, VP of Loan Administration and Legislative Affairs, 10 years

What made you want to pursue this career?

Originally this was not something on my radar, but as an accounting intern at GreenStone I was asked to help communicate a story about our public policy in financial terms and it was an easy connection for me. While the news often only highlights the politics of the government arena, I found it refreshing and interesting to participate in more data-focused conversations about our public policy.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I enjoy the ongoing education and making connections. Challenges and opportunities are constantly presenting themselves. With this comes the need for my own education and the education process of administrative and legislative officials. It is always great to connect legislators with customers, employees and industry experts to discuss different issues.

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

As part of the legislative team, time is spent advocating and protecting the very successful credit and financial services cooperative delivery model. GreenStone, as a Farm Credit System institution, is a Government Sponsored Enterprise (GSE). This status gets quite a bit of attention for an array of reasons, and changes to the System and requirements can impact GreenStone and our customers. Our legislative efforts assist in ensuring GreenStone can continue to support all rural communities and farmers in Michigan and Wisconsin.

What are some things most people don’t know about the legislative team and your role?

GreenStone’s legislative approach is very collaborative and broad. It isn’t just focused on campaign contributions through Political Action Committees (PACs). In both Michigan and Wisconsin, our best work is done in partnership with other rural and agricultural organizations. We call it agricultural advocacy, and this is where grassroot individuals and organizations work together to educate public policy makers about issues of importance through meetings, events, and other means of direct contact. We also have fantastic lobbyists that assist us and lead the technical side of the legislative process in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

My husband, Nick, and I are raising our three, soon-to-be, four kids on the farm in Genesee County, Michigan. We are actively involved in our community through church and supporting our local FFA chapter, and together we enjoy spending time outside caring for our sheep.

To view the fall 2024 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

Michigan 4-H stands strong in their mission, giving young people access to opportunity. They do precisely that through programming and events. There are opportunities ranging from county fairs to summer youth camps. Michigan 4-H invests their time and resources into the youth, they are preparing the next generation of students in many different industries.

GreenStone knows youth development is the cornerstone of the next generation in agriculture. We are proud to continue to support the Michigan 4-H in all their endeavors. GreenStone is especially fortunate to support the Livestock and Veterinary Science Programming, Volunteer Recognition, Financial Literacy Training, and the launching of a Tech Changemakers Program!

These programs are rooted in what GreenStone believes in, getting involved, and doing the right thing. Together with Michigan 4-H we can strengthen our communities through opportunities for youth. Check out other ways we support the youth through partnerships in upcoming issues of Partners.

To view the fall 2024 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

From the Air Force to Full-Time Farming

Ryan Sullivan is no stranger to hard work. After spending over 25 years in the U.S. Air Force and South Dakota Air National Guard as an aircraft technician, he and his family were ready to set their sights on a new mission. Using the skills, determination, and discipline he learned in the military, Ryan and his family have established a thriving operation where every member of the Sullivan family has an important role to play.

Ryan grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota, and was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force base not far from Rapid City, South Dakota after completing basic training. As a technician, he worked on rebuilding military aircraft, larger transport, and small commercial aircraft. Throughout his career with the military, he completed six tours across Iraq, Afghanistan, and Jordan conducting technical aviation training.

It was 2010 when Ryan and his wife Jackie, who was expecting their first child, began to research eating healthier. “We started learning more about food, and we would joke about what we were going to feed this kid! We knew we had to get smarter about it,” Ryan remarked. A humble vegetable garden and a few egg-laying chickens later, Ryan and Jackie were ready to get even more involved with where their food was coming from.

 Forging their Future

In 2011, Ryan and Jackie attended a Farm Beginnings course in South Dakota while he was home from deployment. With their second child on the way, they knew they wanted to build a sustainable lifestyle for their growing family. The Farm Beginnings course taught them the basics of owning a farm-centric small business and gave them the confidence they needed to take the leap and start looking for property. With Jackie’s parents back home in Wisconsin, it seemed like the perfect place to plant their roots and raise their family. Ryan was deployed to Jordan at the time, so searching for the perfect property was a challenging venture but they didn’t give up on the vision they had for their future and their family.

It was late 2013 when Ryan and Jackie purchased their dream property on five acres. Not long after they packed up the life they knew in South Dakota and moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin with their now three children. While there, Ryan worked for the Air National Guard as a part-time guardsman before retiring from the military in October of 2021.

“Everything we’d been doing over the years had been building towards being able to purse farming full time,” he explained. Ryan now works full-time on the farm with the help of his wife Jackie, who also works part time as a physical therapist.

The Importance of Farm Fresh Food

Sullivan Family Farm has a diverse range of offerings such as a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, free-range eggs, pasture-raised meat birds, and grass-fed lamb and beef. In addition, they offer weekly Farm Boxes which include a mixture of in-season fruits and vegetables. The farm’s products are all-natural and use organic practices as the Sullivan’s don’t use any pesticides or herbicides on their crops.

“We want to leave our little piece of Earth better than when we found it when we’re gone,” says Ryan. “Since the beginning, our focus has been on providing families in our community with natural, healthy foods.”

What started as a single refrigerator in the corner of their garage and a hand-painted sign advertising “eggs for sale” has transformed into a bustling self-service stand on the farm’s property. The Sullivan’s also serve as a rotating vendor for Seasonal Harvest, LLC, a local food co-op as well as a woman-owned pop-up market in the Green Bay area. But their true passion lies in providing farm fresh food to local schools, restaurants, and Grow it Forward, a nonprofit organization based in Manitowoc that partners with the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program to provide access to healthy food to those in need.

“One of the biggest ‘pinch-me’ moments I’ve had since farming full time was when we were able to load a full pallet of food onto a 53-foot semi-truck that was headed to a local food bank,” said Ryan. “That was a huge accomplishment for us. It’s important to us that we are involved in these programs and can continue to provide fresh food to our local community.”

More Than a Financial Partner

The farm’s success didn’t come without quite a bit of learning, growing, and trial and error, however. Sullivan Family Farm became an established business in June of 2020, right in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. “That’s when we saw an explosion in the number of customers we were getting, and that also came with a new set of challenges on how we would produce a larger volume of food,” Ryan acknowledged.

That’s when GreenStone became a resource for Ryan. “Initially working with GreenStone gave us the capital we needed to step up to the next level of what we wanted to do,” he explained. “GreenStone has provided us more than just the capital we needed. They’ve heavily invested in us and our success. They were the exact thing that we needed as far as training and mentoring goes.”

As a recipient of GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth grant, Sullivan Family Farm was able to gain the knowledge needed to add more hoop houses for growing seasonal produce to their property and establish a 40-acre plot of land they rent for their beef cattle and sheep.

In addition, Ryan has attended GreenStone’s annual CultivateGrowth conference twice, and even spoke on the panel of young, beginning, and small farmer experts at the 2023 conference.

“The most remarkable thing about Ryan is his commitment to continuous learning and sharing the knowledge he’s gained over the years with others who are in the same position he used to be in”, says Joe Schlies, financial services officer at GreenStone. “It’s clear Ryan sees the importance in mentorship and learning from others and wants to share the passion he has for producing healthy foods with others who want to do the same.”

As for the future of Sullivan Family Farm? “Our hope is that we can grow sustainably. We want to get even better, and more efficient at what we’re doing now,” says Ryan. “I say to anyone and everyone, GreenStone has been an excellent connection for us, and they have always been invested in our success.”

To view the fall 2024 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here

George Washington devoted his life to the improvement of American agriculture. While his initial interest in farming was driven by his own needs to earn a living and improve his homestead in Mount Vernon, in later years Washington realized his leadership and experimentation could assist all American farmers.

Washington was a leader in service in the all-important emerging governance structure of a new nation. He led the Executive Branch as our first President. This governance structure remains the envy of the world, and Washington’s service serves as a standard bearer of the highest caliber. This example has grown in strength over centuries with leaders chosen by a population of citizens voting for its leaders. While many skills are necessary to be one of those exemplary leaders, leaders that listen distinguish themselves amongst the competition.

Washington built his leadership with the skill of participating in agriculture, listening and acting. Washington stated in his Eighth Annual Address to Congress on December 7, 1796, “It will not be doubted that with reference either to individual or national welfare, agriculture is of primary importance. In proportion, as nations advance in population and other circumstances of maturity this truth becomes more apparent and renders the cultivation of the soil more and more an object of public patronage. Institutions for promoting it grow up, supported by the public purse; and to what object can it be dedicated with greater propriety?” Washington heard the cries of a growing population and the need to feed the nation. Public patronage was necessary to be the object of promoting agriculture.

It is important for our current legislative and public policy leaders to understand this truth as it remains critical to our nation. We are all required to support our farmers. It is essential to our nation. Considering farmers being fewer in number as the years pass, it is common sense that we all find ways to continue the mission of public patronage for greater prosperity to support the engine of agriculture, our farmers. Agriculture is core to the strength of the nation as first recognized by our first President. Washington is well recorded with this most useful common-sense statement, “Agriculture is the most healthy, the most useful, and the most noble employment of man.”

As the noblest of all men and women, recognized at our nations very formation, those employed in agriculture and humble in heart, we must journey in our actions by first recognizing this for ourselves. This will strengthen our communications and the messages that our elected officials need to hear. There is a difference between listening and hearing, but it starts with listening. When we communicate, if we want someone to listen, we need to talk about something they want to hear. If the legislative leaders hear, they will act. They must act, or the very strength of our nation will be weakened. It is a critical responsibility of agriculture to tell our story, the story of the farmer, in a manner that makes these policy leaders hear.

One of the sincerest forms of respect is listening to what someone has to say. Respect the listener in return with clear and consistent action and advocacy in all that we do out of necessity to support agriculture. Actions are the cement which holds everything together. As James recounts in the Bible, chapter 2: 17-18, “So also faith of itself, if it doesn’t have works, is dead. Indeed someone may say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from works.” As a farmer shows nobility through their works, so must legislative leaders. Legislators need to act favorably towards agriculture, by first listening and then demonstrate that they heard by acting in support of agriculture. Action verifies listening and overcomes mere talk.

To view the fall 2024 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.

GreenStone is a cooperative governed by a board of 16 members, 14 of which are elected by our members and two are appointed to provide specific areas of expertise. While our members might assume that means these directors attend board meetings, what you might not realize is they also provide a great deal of support and engagement in the agricultural and financial industries. In this Directors’ Perspective, a few of your board members share insight into how they represent GreenStone and interact at other opportunities throughout the year!

Mike Timmer

Allegan County, MI

The opportunity to serve on the Greenstone board has given me a greater appreciation of all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. The first board meeting left me feeling overwhelmed with all the financial terms and acronyms we discussed. It made me wonder if I would ever be able to remember them. The educational experience, however, has been great! There are many resources that are available to the board members if we have questions or would like a better understanding of topics we discuss. The staff is extremely helpful and willing to answer questions, and the board training sessions are a terrific way to learn about technology, security, and other areas of interest to the board.

Outside of the board room the annual meetings are a wonderful place to talk with board members from other Farm Credit associations. These meetings allow us opportunities to share ideas and learn from each other about the challenges and successes each association has as we strive to meet the needs of our customers. As a board member it is important to stay up to date on the challenges so GreenStone can be a great partner through both the good times and the challenging ones.

Gene College

Appointed Director

The 16-person board of directors for GreenStone is an outstanding board, consisting of 14 elected and two appointed members. I am one of the appointed directors and live in Omaha, Nebraska. The GreenStone board meets quarterly and has four committees with specific responsibilities, each of four members, which meet separately as a part of each quarterly meeting. I serve on the Audit Committee, which I thoroughly enjoy as it involves many aspects of financial, internal audit, credit, technology, and other key areas. The board also has periodic training sessions as a part of the regular meetings dealing with a variety of areas that involve potential risks to the organization such as cybersecurity, possible adverse regulations, etc.

I also annually attend the AgriBank, our funding source, annual meeting as well as a Farm Credit systemwide director leadership conference where directors from essentially every state have a variety of joint and breakout sessions meant to challenge us with ideas and concepts that we can take back to our regular board meetings. Although I live outside GreenStone’s lending territory of Michigan and Wisconsin, I still get the opportunity to be involved with congressional leader events in Nebraska to continue to press the importance of current agricultural and Farm Credit matters. The GreenStone board has also had a joint meeting the past couple years with two other Farm Credit association boards. These sessions have been very helpful to gain insights into other association practices, challenges, and more.
No board has all the answers, and ideas gained from such meetings are helpful as we oversee our own association activities.

The external conferences are particularly helpful to me. They delve into many issues including agricultural and general economic conditions, political and legislative landscape, collaborative leadership, futuristic thinking, strategic decision making, technology risks, and artificial intelligence to name a few. These events also provide the opportunity to develop relationships with directors from across the nation and to “pick their brains” relating to matters of interest.

The learning process never ends, and thankfully so!

Scott Roggenbuck

Huron County, MI

As a board member we are asked to attend some conferences outside of our regular board meetings.

These may include the AgriBank Annual meeting, the Farm Credit Annual Meeting, or the Directors Leadership Council. System business is discussed, and valuable training is included. One of the most enjoyable parts of attending these nationwide functions is the networking we get to do with farmer and rancher directors from across the country, many of which have become great friends over the years.

I do try to attend the Michigan AgriBusiness Association winter annual conference here in Michigan to gain insight and to broaden the GreenStone reach, and I stop by our branch office on Patronage Day to say hi to the staff and the customers who are picking up their Patronage checks. I do enjoy the board meetings though as much as anything. It is where we really get to dive into the business and work closely with management as GreenStone navigates the ebbs and flows of the economy and works with our customers to help them thrive.

If you see the hardworking GreenStone staff at a trade show or event manning a booth, stop by and say hello!

To view the fall 2024 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.