GreenStone Farm Credit Services’ newly appointed CEO Travis Jones is at the helm of the more than 100-year-old organization and building upon the strong foundation laid by previous CEO Dave Armstrong.
Jones, who previously served as CFO of the company, assumed his role as CEO Aug. 1, 2022, following Armstrong’s retirement. Throughout Jones’ 15-year tenure with GreenStone, he has consistently supported the rural and agricultural communities in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin with a primary goal to help them grow, thrive, and succeed.
“Transitioning from CFO to CEO is certainly a big step, and it’s a step that I’ve been preparing for,” Jones said. “I valued Dave Armstrong’s mentorship and really paid attention to his personal approach, forward-moving thought process and inclusive leadership, so it does feel like a natural progression to carry that forward. GreenStone has a fantastic team at every level, and that is helping make this transition seamless.”
GreenStone is a member of the Farm Credit System cooperative founded as part of the Farm Credit Act of 1916. Since 2000, GreenStone has grown on average roughly 9% each year, from $1.8 billion to $12 billion in total assets by advancing financial solution offerings to meet the evolving needs of farmers and rural consumers. GreenStone supports rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent financing options for farming, agribusiness, country homes, and recreational property, as well as financial services to support customers’ risk management needs including accounting and tax services and crop and life insurance options.
“GreenStone has been around for more than a century, and as I take the reins of the organization, we remain focused on continued solid growth through impeccable service to our members and superior engagement within our talented team,” Jones affirmed.
As a cooperative, GreenStone partners with more than 28,000 members in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin through service provided by more than 600 teammates. Those members once again indicated 95% customer satisfaction with GreenStone in 2022, a factor evaluated closely by the cooperative to help ensure customers receive the support, service and products needed to help them be successful. That service is directly tied to the engagement of the GreenStone team, which also rates its employer in the top 90th percentile among other organizations in the nation for its employee support and engaging culture.
With a commitment to “customers first,” Jones and the entire GreenStone team work with a mindset of customer satisfaction and consistent quality with an emphasis on individual solutions and support for agriculture and rural living as well as young, beginning, and small farmers.
“Our young, beginning and small farmers are very diverse in terms of their farm size, location, products grown, services provided and the consumers they connect with,” Jones said. “We recognize the value in cultivating relationships with these passionate farmers and helping to mentor and guide them to be the next generation of successful farmers.”
Jones grew up on a small family farm in rural Chapin, Michigan, and was involved in livestock auctions from a very young age. He now lives in Owosso with his wife Sue, where they together raised three children.
“I was very excited to come to GreenStone 15 years ago and reconnect with my agriculture background,” Jones said. “I know my grandparents would be proud of me, and my parents are grateful for the positive impact we’re a part of helping our members make. This is a very rewarding place to work, and I know firsthand we have some of the best customers in the world thanks to their role in feeding and serving our rural communities!”
Jones is involved on the board of the Michigan Finance Authority to help provide impactful, affordable loans for cities, colleges, and public schools; he also serves on the Michigan FFA Association board providing support to year-round agriscience curriculum and youth development activities.
Hear firsthand from Travis on his fond agricultural memories and his excitement for the strength and future of GreenStone and its members: https://youtu.be/I0aMeVXkmhk.
GreenStone Farm Credit Services Announces the Appointment of Kimberly Brunner as Chief Financial Officer
GreenStone Farm Credit Services is pleased to announce the promotion of Kimberly Brunner as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Brunner assumed the new role on August 1, 2022, in sync with the previous announcement of former CFO Travis Jones transitioning to the chief executive officer leadership position for the association.
“Kim’s focus on both the details and the impact they have on others sets her apart. Having seen her knowledge and approach while she supported the association through her role at AgriBank, we knew we were fortunate to gain her experience when she joined GreenStone,” said President and CEO Travis Jones. “On top of that, having worked directly with her over the last several years, I am confident she’ll provide strong leadership and financial discipline to help assure the ongoing financial strength of our cooperative.”
Brunner began her career in the accounting and financial space over 30 years ago, earning a bachelor’s degree from University of Northern Iowa and becoming a CPA. She gained excellence in her skillset throughout her career in business financial analysis, auditing, internal controls, and financial reporting. Brunner has served in several financial roles over the years, having spent the last decade working within the Farm Credit System, first at AgriBank prior to joining GreenStone in 2019.
She most recently served as the senior vice president of finance and operations for GreenStone where she was responsible for financial reporting of internal controls, management of external financial audits, leadership of GreenStone’s operational team throughout its 35 locations, and overseeing various risk control measures for the association.
As the CFO, Brunner will be responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership to issues affecting GreenStone’s long range financial viability, as well as day-to-day financial activities. She will be focused on the association’s finance and accounting activity, as well as the operations and facilities management teams.
“I am honored with the opportunity to continue providing leadership to the GreenStone team and its members,” Brunner affirmed. “I’ve admired the focus on delivering quality and superior services to our members, and I’m committed to ensuring those values come with a sustained strong financial base to continue our mission long into the future.”
Melissa Stolicker
Executive VP & Chief Internal Auditor
East Lansing, MI
18 Years of services
Describe how your role carries out the GreenStone mission of supporting rural communities and agriculture.
The audit department is designed to add value and improve operations through evaluating and assessing the effectiveness of risk management and internal control. Our members benefit from an organization with a strong culture and cooperative governance, as well as efficient and effective operations.
What opportunities do you see as we move forward with a new CEO?
We have a strong track record of providing credit and financial services across the agricultural and rural communities we serve, so I do not predict wholesale changes in structure or operations. All changes in leadership bring a different perspective and our new CEO will bring their unique viewpoints and strategies.
In looking back at the cycle of agriculture over the past decades, where do you see the greatest challenge for GreenStone and our members?
The volatility of inputs and commodity prices seem to challenge our producers. Our members are very good at agricultural production, managing the costs and ensuring a strong value for the sale of the product is where we see the challenges.
What do you enjoy about your role?
The role of auditor can sometimes be intimidating. I enjoy meeting with staff throughout the organization and helping them understand that our department is here to ensure GreenStone has strong controls in place to support the long-term viability of the organization.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In the summer we enjoy spending time up north on the lake with family, friends and our two horribly spoiled dogs.
Paul Anderson
Executive VP & Chief Credit Officer
East Lansing, MI
39 Years of Service
Describe how your role carries out the GreenStone mission of supporting rural communities and agriculture.
The credit department’s role is to extend sound constructive credit that balances the financial needs of individual customers with the overall financial health of GreenStone for the benefit of the 28,000 neighbors that are a part of this lending cooperative. We focus on three basic principles in the development of our rules and tools utilized to make the loans, service the loans and collect the loans:
- Calculating the correct amount of analysis to arrive at a reasoned business decision.
- Aligning the right resource with the right loan – automate decisions when possible, and incorporate knowledge and experience for a blended analysis when necessary.
- Get the room right. The strength of GreenStone is in the diversity of opinion in the development of our guidance.
How has GreenStone prepared to withstand future challenges?
An organizational culture of never being complacent, employees that live and are committed to our core values each day, and a team that is focused on supporting each other and serving our customer owners. With that, having a stewardship mindset of leaving this a better place than when we started individually and collectively.
In looking back at the cycle of agriculture over the past decades, where do you see the greatest challenge for GreenStone and our members?
Not forgetting the lessons of history. We are entering a cycle similar, but less severe at the moment, of the inflationary cycle of the late 1970s that were followed by the harsh correction of the 1980’s for agriculture. We are in a much better position as we start to move through the correction cycle we will experience over the next three to five years. During this time, we need to make sure we do not over or under react. Respectful communications, thoughtful development of options that include giving people adequate time to make rational decisions is paramount.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I enjoy the people, our team approach, and working with and for our customers. We have the privilege of partnering with our farm owners, the 1% of this country’s population that literally helps feed the world. During my time in the credit department, we have created a philosophy of looking for ways to say “yes”. We are in the risk management business, not the risk avoidance business. In part, that comes with the development of a team approach to wholistically serve our customers and the relationship philosophy of a “trusted partner” rather than a “banker”.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Spending time with family, friends, and community of our church; golfing; and fishing.
I also enjoy being a Green Bay Packer and Wisconsin Badger fan in Michigan!
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
Cherie and John Shields and their sons had been leasing hunting land for years, but the owners sold it. Heartbroken, they started their search for the perfect recreational property.
“I was online constantly looking, but it was John that found it,” Cherie said. “We figured it was already gone, we thought maybe 30 acres was too much, but then we decided to drive there with the selling agent and check it out.”
They took their son Andy with them to evaluate the property and see if it met their needs.
“Andy is picky, picky,” Cherie said. “But before we even got out of the car, he said – We have to have it. We felt the same. We all fell in love right away.”
As the agent showed them around the property, Cherie sat on the porch and wrote up the offer.
The 30 acres, located in Barton City, also came with a furnished mobile home and a travel trailer.
“It was just the serenity,” Cherie said about the initial attraction. “It was so quiet, and it was early fall, and the leaves were just beautiful. It was just everything we wanted. I felt really lucky and like somebody was looking out for us.”
Her older son, Christopher, took his brother’s word for it being great, and the Shields closed on the property in October 2019.
“We have six dogs between our families, and the first thing we did is put up a fence so we could put the dogs outside behind our home,” Cherie said, thinking of her own German Shepherd. “It took us until after dark, so we were using headlamps. But we got it done and were ready for the first night we spent there.”
The very next day, Christopher bow hunted and got a deer. The timing was perfect.
“It just feels like it was meant to be,” Cherie said.
“That’s all I can say.”
Working with GreenStone
Cherie does diagnostic testing on children, age 0-3, for the Monroe County Intermediate School district, and she is a real estate agent with Gerweck Real Estate.
“This was my first time working with Brian Young from GreenStone,” she said. “I previously had a client that wanted to use him, and when we found the land we wanted to finance, I knew right away to use GreenStone.”
Brian has been a GreenStone financial services officer for several years and already knew of Cherie because of her work as a realtor. He was happy to help her family finance a unique piece of ground.
“Not every lender could work with multiple parcels with a trailer and a mobile home on it, because that complicated things a little, but we were able to finance it,” Brian said. “It was nice to be able to help Cherie obtain a piece of property where the goal is a family who wants to spend time together.”
Overall, the entire process went smoothly.
“I’d heard so many good things from people, and Brian and Marlene Langerman [customer service representative in GreenStone’s Monroe branch] have been nothing but wonderful,” Cherie said. “When I call, they know the answer right away – I don’t have to wait.”
Recreation
Aside from hunting, they also use the land for additional recreational purposes. They enjoy spending time with the deer, turkey, and bears that visit the property.
“We have a bay window, and we’ll be playing cards, and we can see the bear walk right up to the house,” she said. “They’re pretty to watch from the inside, but I don’t want to be out at a bonfire when it’s walking through our yard.”
They have nearby lakes, where they like to kayak. They fish, go for walks, and ride around the property in their side by side and golf cart.
“It’s just beautiful country,” Cherie said. “We just love spending time here.”
Their son Christopher and his wife Deanna have two dogs, Molly and Allice, and a daughter named Alina who also loves to bring her friends up to kayak, canoe, and fish. Their son Andy and his wife Kirstie, who also spend time with them, are expecting a baby they plan on introducing to the property.
At home in Lasalle, Cherie and John take care of their 11-acre farm, which includes five horses and three basset hounds. John recently retired from a 33-year career at Ford, and now works for a farmer helping to harvest hay.
“In the future, we’re just looking forward to keeping everyone happy and healthy – and that goes for our animals and our kids,” Cherie said.
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
“I like taking care of animals, and I like the balance of when we raise healthy animals, they produce manure that makes our land healthy,” said Elaine Palm. “The healthier our land is, the healthier the forage grown on the land is, and the healthier the animals will be.”
Elaine owns Great Lakes Lamb LLC with her parents, Jim and Sherrie Bristol. On their farm in West Branch, Michigan, they raise sheep and forages to feed them, plus sell hay to customers. They primarily raise sheep for the meat market and for breeding stock, and they also sell their wool.
“We also have a passion for high quality wool products,” Elaine said. “I’m currently in the process of getting our farm established in American Wool Assurance, which is a brand new program nationwide.”
Elaine is taking classes related to wool quality and animal care standards to receive certification through the program that their farm is adhering to best practices.
“We’re seeing that along with wanting to know where their food comes from, customers want to know where all their products come from,” Elaine said. “Customers are really interested in making sure that they’re sourcing their products from farmers who care.”
Showing care
Elaine and her sister Brigette began farming by default, as they grew up doing chores with the barn in their backyard. They both became heavily involved in 4-H and FFA. As they got older, they had the opportunity to work with Michigan State University on projects that benefited their farm.
“With MSU, I looked at fecal samples to evaluate internal parasites, and Brigette looked at forage samples,” Elaine said. “These projects gave us even more insight into our business through our involvement in these projects.”
Elaine went on to study agriculture and natural resources communications at MSU, and began a career in non-profit organizational management.
“A few years into my career, I was driving home every three weeks in the summer from Washington, D.C. to help with hay harvest, and I knew this was not a sustainable plan,” she said. “If I was going to get involved in the farm business in a bigger way, I would need to make a change.”
She did that in 2014, when she moved back to Michigan and began having conversations with her parents about the potential of becoming partners.
She continued working in her agricultural career, and didn’t immediately move on the farm, but she kept an eye out for farms for sale.
“It just so happened that six months after I moved to Michigan, the farm across the pasture from my family went up for sale,” she said. “There were other options for sale in the county, but to purchase this farm showed a financial commitment to this being my vision for our farm’s future.”
Making plans
Off the farm, Elaine is a community nutrition instructor for MSU Extension, where she works with people eligible for food assistance on strategies to stretch their food dollars to meet their household’s nutritional needs.
Her husband Rick, a technical advisor for Stellantis, also works both on and off the farm.
“He helps us however he can,” she said, “Animal chores, harvesting hay, fixing equipment, changing out parts – he’s good at everything.”
Elaine is looking forward to the future of her family and farm, as she and Rick are expecting a child this year.
“In 2019, I bought another farm property and a farm truck on Valentine’s Day,” she said. “Two weeks later, I started a new job. That month my fiancé Rick sold his house and moved two hours from his job. Then in March we got married. Quite a year.”
Working with GreenStone
Elaine worked with GreenStone as a lender for her investments, including a field the farm had previously rented, and a farm vehicle.
“We had also discussed transitioning two equipment loans and a line of credit from the bank we were using to GreenStone,” she said. “We were seeing less and less understanding of agricultural accounts and business practices from our previous bank, so we moved them to GreenStone at that time.”
The timing, though difficult, worked out for them.
“We made the farm vehicle purchase in May 2020, and the dealership wasn’t allowed to make sales at that time,” she said. “We were one of the first to make a purchase when they were permitted again. We made the deal in the parking lot, with masks on, with our own pens in our hand.”
GreenStone Financial Services Officer Josh Quaderer enjoyed working with Elaine from the beginning.
“It’s so great seeing someone get started and watching them grow,” he said. “For me, it’s one of the most rewarding parts of the job.”
While working together initially, Josh knew Elaine wasn’t pleased with her current lender. As an agriculture-specific lender and cash crop farmer himself, Josh was happy to share his experience with her.
“You understand the financial side of things so much better when you’re dealing with it yourself,” he said. “We can see it from the farm side and from the banking side.”
GreenStone had options for young, beginning, and small farmers like her, and as an added bonus, once a customer, it was extremely easy to process new requests.
“I made these purchases to expand the potential of the farm’s future,” Elaine said. “Farming is a cyclical process I like to see and facilitate, as we get a balance between nature and the animals we raise for food.”
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
As two new Directors take on the role of helping to lead GreenStone on the board of directors, they took time to share a bit more about themselves. Trent Hilding and Marilyn Thelen both joined the board in June bringing varied backgrounds and a diverse perspective.
Perspective from Trent Hilding
The Hilding farmstead has been in the family for over 100 years. I am the fifth generation to work the dirt on the farm. My wife, Diana and I have four children which we hope will continue to appreciate the opportunity to farm and will become the sixth generation. Currently, the family farm consists of a beef cow herd of 65 head of Simmental/Angus cow calf pairs, along with 2500 acres of irrigated row crops of hay, corn, soybeans, and oats.
As the farm grows, I would like to add on farm storage for grain and a fertilizer storage facility. As the kids get accustomed to the cattle on the farm, I would like to make sure we explore all options to diversify that enterprise into something that supports additional generations coming back to the farm.
Why I serve: I decided to serve the GreenStone cooperative to educate myself more thoroughly on the Farm Credit System to be a better resource for my district of borrowers. With the economic times we are in, it seemed like an opportune time to serve and be part of the GreenStone board.
With current inflation, rising interest rates, and mounting input costs, I would like to be involved on the finance committee to make sure we keep members informed and handle changes effectively.
The cooperative is strong. We need to continue to keep it strong to handle the transition of leadership as well as the new era of rising interest rates and inflation. GreenStone needs to be able to handle the many changes that lie ahead, all while being mindful of areas to grow without risking the current position. Despite the risks and challenges that lie ahead, there is likely to be opportunity to continue to strengthen the cooperative. I look forward to my input contributing to the betterment of GreenStone, its members, and future opportunities.
Perspective from Marilyn Thelen
My husband Lee and I are partners in Thelen Farms, a 2000-acre cash crop farm raising corn, soybeans, wheat and finishing about 150 head of Holstein steers. We have a reduced tillage operation paying close attention to soil health.
We are also partners in Thelen Ag Products, a short-line ag equipment and parts business that sells grain carts, augers, wheels, and other parts. I am the bookkeeper for this business and develop reports for tax planning and preparation, banking and business planning for both operations.
A long-time goal has been to build a farm business that is sustainable both financially and environmentally. This continues to be a goal as we look to the future. The volatility of weather, markets and the economy make this goal as important as ever. We feel that building a resilient system is key to weathering the ups and downs of farming.
Why I serve: I have worked for MSU Extension for 25 years, many of those years in Clinton County providing science-based education and resources to farmers. GreenStone has been a key partner throughout those years supporting educational opportunities for farmers with both financial support and technical expertise.
I am also a partner in our farm and business; when we obtained our operating loan through GreenStone years ago, it was a game changer for our ability to manage the business. When the opportunity to serve on the GreenStone board was suggested, I felt it was way to give back to an organization that had been a partner helping our farm and business to grow as well as a partner during my career with Extension.
I see this as an opportunity to assist the next generation of farmers grow their business. Having a good partner in managing business finances is an important part of success. I would like to be a part of ensuring that GreenStone remains a strong partner for many members.
I plan to bring my over 38 years of experience to the table. I have worked with farmers throughout my career and work with Lee on our farm and business. These experiences provide me with perspective. I would like to use my experiences to complement the experience that fellow board members bring to the table.
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
The Federal Crop Insurance Program has been available for decades. It has been the primary platform to provide quality risk management to many of our country’s agricultural producers. Historically, the program aimed most of its resources at creating products to serve the most prevalent commodity crop industries, which are no doubt an important pillar of our agricultural framework. Until recently, specialized small farmers and specialty crop producers had inadequate access to policies as robust as those for commodity crops. Through the last two Farm Bills, that direction has began to shift!
Through the implementation of the Whole Farm Revenue Protection program (WFRP) in 2015, and enhancements to most specialty crop policies, producers have seen an increased quality and availability of subsidized federal crop insurance. The most recent of these coverage enhancements is the creation of the Micro Farm crop insurance policy, which is a style of WFRP.
Micro Farm crop insurance provides a revenue safety net for all commodities, and allowable value-added products, under one insurance policy. The 2022 policy is tailored for any farm with up to $100,000 in approved revenue, and was built to cover many styles, such as specialty, organic, regional, locally marketed, direct market and farm-identity preserved.
This policy is available in all 50 states and covers losses due to unavoidable natural causes that occur during the insurance period, meaning our diverse Michigan and Wisconsin small farmers who face Mother Nature anomalies thanks the Great Lakes now have a solution to help protect them! Coverage is available from 50-85% of the producers approved revenue. Sales close for the 2023 crop year is November 20, 2022 for late fiscal tax filers, and March 15, 2023 for calendar year or early fiscal tax filers.
Who would benefit from this policy?
A wide array of producers could benefit from the Micro Farm insurance policy. Because it covers both revenue from commodities, as well as revenue from value added products such as lotions from lavender, wine from grapes, or honey products from bees, Micro Farm can be utilized by many kinds of operations.
There are certain documents you must provide to your crop insurance specialist to get Whole-Farm Revenue Protection insurance.
- A Whole-Farm History Report with a minimum of 3 consecutive years of Schedule F or other farm tax forms (it must be possible to complete a Substitute Schedule F form if you filed farm tax forms other than Schedule F). For the 2022 policy year, tax forms from 2019-2021 are required.
- If you have not yet filed taxes for the most recent tax year, a Substitute Schedule F must be submitted for that year.
- If you are a tax-exempt entity (such as a Tribal entity) and have acceptable third-party records available, those can be used to complete Substitute Schedule F tax forms.
Visit www.rma.usda.gov/en/Fact-Sheets/National-Fact-Sheets/Micro-Farm-Program for more details.
GreenStone has a dedicated Fruit and Specialty Crop Insurance team of agents throughout Michigan and northeast Wisconsin who focus on policies such as the new Micro Farm. Having written 77% of the policies in our territory thus far, we are continuing to meet with more producers to educate them on this policy and its potential benefits to helping them manage risks that are outside of their control. We recognize the importance of having options available to farmers of all commodities, sizes and practices and to be able to consider this policy as another tool for those who didn’t have many crop insurance options historically. Through GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth program focused on providing support and solutions to assist young, beginning and small farmers, along with our commitment to Micro Farm education, we take pride in extending resources to help ensure the success of our smaller farmers, which help both our urban and rural communities thrive.
From insuring cut flowers, to blueberries and cherries, we have already seen positive results from the first year with Micro Farm policy available. This policy can be utilized for producers with urban gardens in Detroit or Green Bay, to rural farm stands in southwest Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. There is also potential for this to benefit small local livestock producers, roadside vegetable stands, lavender farms selling lotions and farm market farmers selling produce and baked goods.
GreenStone’s territory of Michigan and northeast Wisconsin is some of the most agriculturally diverse areas in our nation. We are committed to ensuring equal access for our customers to all of the products the USDA’s Risk Management Agency has in order to help build unparalleled risk management for our hard working farmers.
If you have any questions about the Micro Farm crop insurance policy, or others, please reach to your nearest GreenStone branch to find out more.
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
“I don’t allow current circumstances to dictate my mood,” said Grady Auer, owner of Bakake Acres in New London, Wisconsin.
His positive attitude has come in handy during some of the past events on the dairy, including multiple natural disasters. Through it all, Grady has successfully steered his farm in the right direction.
He began as a partner with his dad, and after he passed eight years ago, Grady entered into partnership with his mom, Tina. On their farm they milk 550 cows with seven full-time employees, plus two helpers who are always with Grady – his son Griffin and nephew Ira.
“The story is my mom put me on her back to feed calves when I was six months, so since I’m 38, now I’ve farmed for 37 and a half years,” he smiled and said.
Improved tax and accounting
Grady was using a different tax accountant for years, but in 2017 he made the business decision to transition to GreenStone’s senior tax accountant Kandace Haegele in the Clintonville office.
“I like working with Kandace because she works with whatever I bring to her,” Grady said. “Along with accounting, she also does our tax forms, and twice a year we send our QuickBooks accounts to her. She reviews it, tells us if we have errors, and answers our questions. My wife Sarah does the books really well, but she reminds me she is a special education teacher, not an accountant. So of course we have questions on what categories we put expenses into, if items need to be expensed, or if we can depreciate them.”
Kandace has worked in GreenStone’s Clintonville office for eight years. She’s been through transitions before and worked with Grady to help ensure the farm’s transition from the previous tax accountant to GreenStone was a smooth process. Part of the ongoing success of the relationship is the improvements they’ve made in the way they work together.
“We made suggestions on getting set up on QuickBooks and what information to provide to us,” she said. “He also is working with a dairy analyst, so I assisted him in getting set up, so as to provide the dairy information needed for the analysis. Basically, these steps have made it much easier for everyone to determine what action is needed in making sound farm business decisions, including having a better handle on where he is financially and providing related tax planning strategies.”
Grady was no stranger to GreenStone, as his dad was a long-time customer and co-signed his first loan on a calf when Grady was only 15 years old. Unfortunately, the calf didn’t last long.
“My dad cosigned a loan so I could buy a show heifer, and she abruptly dropped dead,” Grady shared sadly. “Thankfully she was insured, so we bought another one right after that.”
This stunning experience didn’t sour him on the entire animal showing scene, as he met his wife Sarah at the county fair.
“She asked to wear my jersey – football, not cow,” Grady joked. “She also grew up on a progressive farm in Wisconsin. Now, our family shows heifers all over.”
One stop shop
Eventually, along with the existing lending partnership and tax and accounting services, Grady also switched his crop insurance provider to GreenStone.
“I was always talking to Robert Netrefa, the GreenStone crop insurance specialist, about what decisions to make even though I was buying it through someone else,” Grady said. “I went to a GreenStone conference where he was the speaker, and I thought he had great knowledge about what was going on.”
Beyond tax and accounting support, plus the insurance, Grady uses GreenStone for financing.
“Certainly the advantage is that it’s a one-stop shop,” Grady said. “I know my taxes are different than my loans, which are different from my crop insurance, but it’s still all in the same location.”
Clintonville has a new office building, which features lots of glass to create an open atmosphere.
“It’s just like going to the supermarket,” Grady said. “I like this, and this, and I can get this – all in one place.”
Cleaning up
Corey Fanslau is VP of traditional lending at GreenStone, and he’s been working with Grady for over ten years.
“Grady is very good dairyman, he’s a great guy, and he’s really stepped up his business acumen over the years,” Corey said. “His work with his dairy analyst has also helped him perform even better.”
Corey worked with Grady through some tough times on the farm, including in 2018 when a blizzard caused their barns to collapse.
“We had to send half of our cows to another farm to be milked. For four months, since our income was down, we only paid interest,” Grady said. “That was Corey’s idea. He knew we’d rebuild and get our cows back.”
Despite the unfortunate event, Grady made the most of his circumstances and took the opportunity to make his barn even better. The new barn is able to hold more weight, is stronger and wider, and has improved lighting.
“I was given another shot to do it correctly, and I took it,” Grady said.
Grady has experienced more than his share of natural disasters on his farm, including a pile of bales that was struck by lightning, a shed that burned in 2005, and tragically, a house fire in 2010.
“I was picking up my son from daycare, so no one was home,” he said. “I’d thrown laundry into the dryer before I left. We drove home and saw the house was on fire, and it was a total loss.”
Happily, they were able to rebuild in a location closer to the farm.
“I haven’t done laundry since,” Grady joked. “Better safe than sorry.”
Grady and Sarah now have four children – Griffin (13), Emery (10), Macy (7), and Brynn (2). Grady really enjoys his time on the farm with his kids and nephew, whether they’re feeding calves or setting off bottle rockets.
“We also like to go to our children’s events, which is a full time job,” Grady said.
Grady looks forward to continuing his partnership with GreenStone, and he is confident his GreenStone team will be ready to assist him in his good times and his not-so-good times – even though his attitude remains unchanged.
“Some years the farm makes money, some years it doesn’t – I’m not complaining,” Grady said. “If we don’t make any, I have less tax work to do.”
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
Data breaches and cyberattacks continue to make the nightly news. Just within the last few weeks Microsoft was targeted with a zero-day vulnerability that allowed malicious code to be installed through an email attachment without the recipient even needing to open the file.
Once the code is executed, the bad actors can gain control of the workstation.
Scammers also have access to a treasure trove of public records. Public records are supposed to provide a means to promote government openness and transparency. These records supply information about people, properties, taxes, and other issues. This information includes court documents, marriage certificates, and public mortgage records which includes the amount borrowed, the interest rate, loan term and the institution that hold the mortgage note.
Public information is not only used by cybercriminals, but also by companies trying to get your business for all types of goods and services. As an example, many of us have received mail soon after closing a loan that references the mortgage company and loan, it may try to raise alarm or suggest a better alternative. Several are designed to look like it’s coming from the actual mortgage company, and nearly all of them will include specifics about your loan because that information is required to be public record.
There are a handful of ways companies can obtain that information. One potential way is they buy that information from the financial service provider – GreenStone does not sell that information, but some companies do. Another way they obtain this information is from creditors, after you met a certain credit criterion. This is often referred to as a “prescreened” offer. Lastly, this information can be found on the internet using tools that search Online Public Records. Usually all they need is your name and address of the property they are targeting.
The amount of exposed data and public information create the perfect foundation for scammers to build communication that is tailored to you.
How do you protect yourself from falling victim to these attacks?
With any mail or email message, trust but verify. For emails, never open email attachments, call phone numbers or click on URLs from senders you do not know or from emails you were not expecting. It only takes only wrong click or call, and you could get a computer virus or end up supplying your username and password into a “look alike” login page to your bank or email account.
With any mortgage mailer – knowing how that got the information goes a long way. Most of these mailers catch us by surprise because we are unaware that the information included on the letter or postcard is public information. It’s even more difficult because there’s not any one thing that can confirm it is junk mail. Most will have a postage label that says something like “presorted,” but that’s not only used on junk mail, in fact this magazine has a similar postage on it. Another indicator may be the odd use of words in all “CAPITALS” like your name, mortgage amount or Lender, though this can also be a normal practice for some credible businesses. You may have to be thoughtful in your review to determine it if it is legitimate or not.
GreenStone will never ask you in an email message to update your confidential information or to provide a PIN, account number, social security number, username, password, or other similar information. We advise our customers to never respond to any email, call, or mail that asks for such information, even if it appears to be from GreenStone or another financial institution you have a relationship with. If you are unsure of the authenticity of a communication, contact us to confirm.
If you suspect fraud has occurred in connection with your GreenStone accounts, please notify us immediately, by telephone or email, and we will promptly assist you in resolving the matter. Send concerns to [email protected] or call 855-895-2761.
The Federal Trade Commission highlights on their web page two steps that individuals can take to help reduce the number or unsolicited mailers – https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0127-getting-mortgage-offers
- Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com to opt out of prescreen offers.
- Put your phone number on the federal government’s National Do Not Call Registry to reduce the telemarketing calls you get at home. To register your phone number or to get information about the registry, visit www.donotcall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register.
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
The focus: Ensuring alignment with GreenStone’s mission, vision, values, and people focused culture as the foundation of leading the cooperative to strong results through visionary leadership and strategic business development.
The solution: An incoming CEO who exemplifies our brand and embraces our culture through firsthand experience, a broad perspective, and a focus on engagement and partnership with customers and staff.
After a nationwide search, GreenStone’s Board of Directors has named Travis Jones as our next President and Chief Executive Officer. Travis, who has served as the cooperative’s Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for the last 15 years, will assume the chief leadership role on August 1, 2022 following Dave Armstrong’s retirement.
In connection with our mission, GreenStone understands agricultural finance in ways unmatched by any other financial entities. During Travis’ nearly 15-year history with GreenStone, he’s consistently supported the rural and agricultural communities in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin – regardless of market or industry fluctuations – with a primary goal to help them grow, thrive and succeed.
“We unanimously believe Travis Jones is the right person to drive GreenStone’s mission and values forward to best serve our members,” said Board Chairman Ed Reed. “His deep understanding of our Core Four Values is shown through his dedication to always put the customer first, deliver quality over quantity, roll up his sleeves to get the work done, and most importantly, always doing the right thing.”
Travis has been chosen to succeed Dave Armstrong who, with a 41-year dedicated career serving the Farm Credit System, has led as President and CEO of GreenStone for the last 14 of those years. Armstrong will retire July 31, 2022. His inspiring leadership leaves the cooperative in strong, stable hands.
With a managed, steady approach Travis’ experience will help ensure an ongoing strong financial foundation for GreenStone customers to build and grow upon. Travis joined the GreenStone cooperative in September 2007 as CFO. Since that time, he has demonstrated his progressive strategic and operational leadership impacting long range organizational and capital planning.
Like many GreenStone team members, Travis grew up on a small farm in Chapin, Michigan and now lives in Owosso with his wife Sue, where they together raised three children, Tyler, Mackenzie and Katelyn. Travis believes it is important to make a difference in the communities where we live and serve. He leads by example, leveraging his financial expertise on the board of the Michigan Finance Authority to help provide impactful, affordable loans for cities, colleges, and public schools, plus serves on the Michigan FFA Association board providing support to the year-round agriscience curriculum and youth development activities.
In this new role, Travis will build upon the strong foundation Dave established in his 14 years as CEO of the association.
“Every day is an honor to work alongside our 600+ talented and committed teammates to serve our members. We’ve built an inclusive, customer first culture under Dave’s leadership and I’m truly humbled with the opportunity to continue that focus as the next CEO of GreenStone and build upon the successes Dave established,” said Travis Jones. “With our shared strategic vision for the cooperative, I look forward to paving the path forward to continued success and prosperity for our team and customers.”
Travis will assume the role of President and CEO on August 1, 2022. For more information, visit www.greenstonefcs.com.
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.