California Ag Network

Tag: American Ag Credit

  • New Explorer Course Gives Aspiring Farmers Quick Intro to What They Can Expect

    Since 2013, the Center for Land-Based Learning in Woodland has offered Beginning Farmer Training through its California Farm Academy. The intensive seven-month program combines lectures by farmers and agricultural professionals, hands-on field experience, and farm visits to expose students to topics critical for a future in farming.

    The program went virtual in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions and this year it was canceled. In its place is a new Explorer Course, which ran for just six weeks when launched this spring. But while the pandemic helped jump-start the new program, it’s not just a temporary replacement, explained Dr. Sri Sethuratnam, the Farm Academy director.

    “We’ve been considering running an Explorer program for five years,” he said. “The main reason is that every year, a large percentage of the participants aren’t ready for a seven-month program. You really need a fairly narrowed down idea of what kind of farming you want to do before you begin.

    “This program is for people who haven’t made the commitment that the (seven-month participants) have. They don’t really know what steps they’ll have to take so it helps to organize them and move forward toward their farm dream. Because of COVID, we had to take a break from the regular program, so we thought, why not run the Explorer course and see how it works.”

    Supporting the next generation of farmers is a top priority, which is why Farm Credit has sponsored the Farm Academy since 2018, said Curt Hudnutt, President and CEO of American AgCredit.

    “The USDA reports that the average age of an American farmer today is nearly 60, so programs like the Farm Academy that educate and encourage people with an interest in farming are crucial,” Hudnutt said. “Farm Credit has provided $40,000 to support the Farm Academy and believes this new program can introduce even more prospective farmers to agriculture.”

    Additionally, Farm Credit’s support of the Center for Land-Based Learning extends beyond just the Farm Academy, noted Mark Littlefield, President and CEO of Farm Credit West.

    “Farm Credit is now in the third year of a five-year commitment that will give the Center $100,000 to fund its new state-of-the-art workforce development campus and statewide hub,” Littlefield said. “The Center is the largest organization of its kind in California and operates programs in 27 counties. We look forward to continuing our partnership into the future.”

    Supporting Farm Credit Institutions American Ag Credit, CoBank, Colusa Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit, and Yosemite Farm Credit are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, the largest provider of credit to American agriculture.

    Sethuratnam said Farm Credit’s support has been instrumental in helping achieve the Center’s goals.

    “The sustained financial support we have received from Farm Credit has given us the capacity to build effective pathways into farming for people who are not connected to the farm sector. This support is valuable as these new farmers are the future of our farming and food systems,” he said.

    Nine people participated in the spring Explorer session, participating in classroom lectures to get the basics of becoming an owner-operator, including marketing, how to develop a business plan, basic production information, soil science and irrigation practices. Participants also take tours of small farms and ask farmers questions to get real-life answers. Another seven enrolled in the fall Explorer course, which concluded in late September.

    Jon Kupkowski, the beginning farmer training program manager, said the feedback from the spring session was generally positive.

    “They got clarity and direction and developed a stronger understanding of what they want and how to get there. One thing we’ll look at going forward is how to provide more hands-on sessions. For example, they spent an hour pulling weeds and harvesting onions. We saw that as really positive, so we want to incorporate more time in the fields for the next course,” he said.

    Sethuratnam said they are planning some changes when the Beginning Farmer course returns.

    “For that program, we had people who were just interested in one kind of farming, such as livestock or horticulture. In the past, though, everyone worked as a group on a one-acre plot. Going forward, they will all still do generic coursework to start but for the latter part of the course we want to have tracks, like livestock, viticulture and seed production – we’re in the middle of a region that has produced seed for 80 years. And we want to add information about the use of technology, like sensors and drones.”

    And of course, the program is geared to the Center’s mission – to inspire, educate and cultivate future generations of farmers, agricultural leaders and natural resource stewards.

    “There are people who want to get into farming, and now I’m seeing first-generation immigrants wanting to do so. If we can give them the skills and knowledge they need, they can succeed,” Sethuratnam said.

    About Farm Credit:

    American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com

    About the Center for Land-Based Learning:

    The Center for Land-Based Learning’s mission is to inspire, educate, and cultivate future generations of farmers, agricultural leaders and natural resource stewards. To do this, we motivate people of all ages to promote a healthy interplay between agriculture, nature, and society through their actions and as leaders in their communities. It began in 1993 as the FARMS Leadership Program, out of concern for the growing disconnect between people, their food supply, and the land. In 2001, programs expanded, and CLBL was created as a 501(c)(3). Today, CLBL operates five distinct programs that advance our mission. One is the California Farm Academy, including the Explorer program, a beginning farmer training program and a farm business incubator program. For more information, visit www.landbasedlearning.org

  • Farmer-Veteran Grant Helps Marine Transition into Beekeeping

    Jesus Toro is a man with a plan. The son of a farmworker and a former Marine helicopter mechanic, Toro’s goal is to become a fulltime beekeeper within three years, servicing orchards in California and the Pacific Northwest. A just-awarded Farmer Veteran Coalition grant – funded by Farm Credit – will be a big step toward achieving that goal.

    The Coalition’s small grant program is designed to support veterans in their early years of farming and ranching by directly purchasing a piece of equipment the farmer has identified as being critical. In Toro’s case, that need was a trailer so he could haul his forklift to farms to unload and load his beehives during pollinating season.

    “My goal is to have 1,000 hives within three years,” said Toro, a Madera native. “The hives will go on my flatbed truck, but I needed the trailer to haul around the forklift. The $5,000 grant made that happen.”

    Keith Hesterberg, President and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit, said grants like this one really make a difference.

    “The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund provides direct assistance to veterans like Jesus Toro who are in their beginning years of farming and ranching,” Hesterberg said. “The funds are given directly to third-party vendors for items the veteran has identified will make a crucial difference in the success of their farm business.”

    As part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture – Fresno Madera Farm Credit, along with American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West and Yosemite Farm Credit support numerous non-profits like the Farmer Veteran Coalition that provide assistance for beginning farmers.

    Mark Littlefield, President and CEO of Farm Credit West, added that Farm Credit volunteers help review the grant applications as part of the Farmer Veteran Coalition’s efforts to identify recipients who are serious about becoming successful farmers.

    “Veterans receiving these grants need to have an agricultural business in operation and a business plan. In addition, they must provide progress reports and must be willing to mentor other farmer veterans,” Littlefield said. “Farm Credit is proud to be able to help individuals who have served in our armed forces build a new life in agriculture.”

    This year, more than 100 farmer veterans across the country received grants. Over the 11 years the program has been in place, more than 700 veterans have benefitted, with $3.5 million in equipment distributed.

    Toro said when his enlistment ended, he enrolled at Reedley College to study engineering, until he took calculus and physics in the same semester and decided perhaps engineering wasn’t for him. But a new career path was soon found.

    “While at Reedley, one of my close friends told me that the bee business was going to be big in a few years because established beekeepers were getting old and there weren’t enough new guys stepping up to replace them. Then when I got to Fresno State, a beekeeping and biology class popped out at me,” he said.

    In fact, Toro is featured in a 2019 You Tube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7iYB853WTo about the course in which he outlined his goal of establishing his own business.

    After graduating with his degree in plant science, he’s currently working for an area fertilizer business and working with bees on the side. He now has 50 hives – each with up to 40,000 bees – and is looking to ramp up.

    “The goal for me is to buy some land in southern Oregon and take the bees up there for honey production,” he said. “I also want to get contracts for almond pollination in California and for apple and cherry growers in the Northwest, which flower later than trees in California.”

    And no doubt the trailer funded with the Farm Credit grant will put on many miles in the process.

    About Farm Credit:

    American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West, Fresno Madera Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com.

    About the Farmer Veteran Coalition:

    The mission of the Farmer Veteran Coalition is mobilizing veterans to feed America. The Coalition cultivates a new generation of farmers and food leaders and develops viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities. It believes that veterans possess the unique skills and character needed to strengthen rural communities and create sustainable food systems, and that agriculture offers purpose, opportunity, and physical and psychological benefits. For more information, visit https://farmvetco.org.

  • Women’s Group Effectively Speaks on Behalf of the Busy Farmer

    In 1975, a group of women concerned about challenges to California agriculture got together to “speak on behalf of the busy farmer” and educate consumers and legislators about farming issues. Today, the CWA has become one of the largest all-volunteer advocacy groups in the nation, consisting of a diverse group of bankers, lawyers, accountants, marketing professionals and consumers – along with farmers and ranchers.

    Rose Tryon, a fifth-generation rancher beginning her second year as CWA president, said it is critically important that the ag industry continues to mount education and advocacy efforts, and last year added a digital campaign to its usual lobbying efforts.

    “Last year we ran a digital campaign titled Faces of Ag, where our communications team highlighted members who work in different facets of the industry,” she said. “We wanted to point out (to lawmakers) how important agriculture is to the state’s economy, how many jobs are involved and how many women and minorities are involved in ag and make a connection about how their decisions affect women and minority populations and ag in general. Our membership is as diverse as the crops we grow.”

    Because of the importance of educating policymakers about the many issues affecting farming and ranching in California, Farm Credit associations serving California have sponsored CWA for more than 20 years. Supporting Farm Credit institutions are American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West and Fresno Madera Farm Credit – all of which are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, the largest provider of credit to American agriculture.

    “About half of the million dollars Farm Credit donates to nonprofits each year goes to preserving agriculture and raising awareness of the importance of agriculture in California,” said Timothy Elrod, president and CEO of Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit. “CWA’s 1,300 members do a great job educating decision-makers and advocating for policies that keep our state’s agriculture industry competitive and viable. We believe our contribution of $10,000 a year to support this great organization is an investment in the future of farming.”

    Tryon said Farm Credit’s support over the years has been essential in helping the organization grow.

    “We can’t continue to advocate without our sponsors, and we are so appreciative of Farm Credit’s support. They’ve been an absolutely wonderful sponsor, and we couldn’t continue without them,” she said.

    The organization consists of 21 local chapters that focus on promoting agriculture locally and providing scholarships to students majoring in farming-related majors. Tryon said her local chapter in the Chico area, for example, raises money to loan to students who can’t afford to buy an animal for FFA or 4H competitions. A student then raises the animal, shows it, and repays the loan when she sells it after the competition.

    That kind of commitment to the future of agriculture is another reason why Farm Credit continues to sponsor CWA, noted Keith Hesterberg, president and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit.

    “In our area, CWA partners with Ag One to put on the Ag Boosters BBQ each year, which raises funds to support ag students and programs at Fresno State,” Hesterberg said. “Farm Credit is proud to directly sponsor that program, which helps ensure we will have well-educated ag leaders in the future.”

    About Farm Credit: 

    American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West and Fresno Madera Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com.

    About California Women for Agriculture:

    The CWA’s mission is to promote and develop the interest of California women involved or interested in agriculture and to promote a strong agriculture industry in California. CWA’s efforts are guided by five principal objectives: to speak on behalf of agriculture in an intelligent, informative, direct and truthful manner; to keep CWA members informed on legislative activities pertaining to agriculture; to join forces when the need arises to deal with agricultural issues and challenges; to improve the public image of farmers and to develop a rapport with consumers, educators, and governmental and business leaders in communities throughout the state.