Recently GreenStone was able to hold a Networking and Resources event on Michigan State’s Campus for students who are interested in starting their own farming operation or heading back to the family farm. Courtney Ross, Stevan Stoutenburg, and Cindy Birchmeier were there to represent the sales and credit departments at GreenStone.
There were 9 different students there representing different majors, many within the college of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The event started with food and networking, followed by a casual presentation and conversation revolving around GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth program and how it supports young, beginning, and small farmers.
During the conversation we dove into what it could look like for these students to get started with GreenStone. We looked into the CultivateGrowth program as a whole and how each piece can impact their future. A hot topic of the night was our mentorship program. This is a program where our young, beginning, and small farmers have the opportunity to be paired with another person with more experience in a different location. We discussed why learning from one another would be invaluable when entering the industry. There were many questions about what this looks like for our current mentorship members and how operations can get involved. More resources on our CultivateGrowth program can be found here.
Our staff representatives were able to help these students so when the right time comes, they all know how to get a loan or a grant with us. “It was a really great time; it was nice to be able to talk to the people who sign the paper on the loans, this will help me out long term.” Explains Clara Milarch, an MSU sophomore who attended the event. Another MSU student, Blaine Cords a junior vocalized, “They don’t always tell us in school how to get a loan or any of the resources that go along with it. Having someone explain what applies to me was great.”
At GreenStone, we value educating and leading the next generation. That is why we find it so important to get involved in the community. To learn more about our community outreach and engagement efforts by visiting Open Fields Blog | GreenStone FCS.
