6 minute read
Bolstering Our Industry
The Center for Land-Based Learning completed construction on their new headquarters, officially opening doors in May 2020.
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As a lender focusing exclusively on agriculture, our success is
entirely dependent on the success of our borrowers. Committed to helping our customers thrive, Farm Credit West takes an active role to support, encourage and provide educational resources for farmers.”
Blake Harlan, Director, Farm Credit West
Nestled on 50 acres along the Cache Creek in Woodland, California, the Center for Land-Based Learning’s new headquarters and training farm are well-situated to implement its mission of educating and supporting future farmers in the Golden State.
Completed this spring, the 5,400 square-foot farmhouse-style building has plenty of space for its 17-member staff to run the Center’s youth and new farmer training programs. Adjacent to the administrative offices, 30 acres of prime farmland are available for fledgling farmers to test crops and sharpen skills before they launch their businesses in the “real world.” At the Center’s former location nearby in Winters, just five acres were available for farming.
As a nonprofit organization which serves the industry, all the Center’s programs and activities are largely dependent on funding from the agricultural community. Farm Credit West, in conjunction with other Farm Credits around California, committed $100,000 in 2019 to the Center’s capital campaign, to be distributed over five years. The support has been instrumental, according to Mary Kimball, director for the Center for LandBased Learning.
“The funding from Farm Credit has been critical to us being able to expand our programs and serve more people,” Mary said. “When you have leaders like Farm Credit stepping up to give significant investment, it leads to us receiving more funding from other sources as well.”
The Center for Land-Based Learning is one of the state’s premier organizations for training and supporting new farmers. But it’s just one of hundreds of important agricultural organizations that Farm Credit West supports. In 2019, FCW contributed
Farm Credit West supports industry through monetary contributions and volunteer hours to organizations such as the Center for Land-Based Learning, commodity groups, Farm Bureaus, and events such as the World Ag Expo. more than $473,000 to support the industry though local Farm Bureaus, commodity organizations, and a variety of other causes with the sole purpose of bolstering the agricultural community. Specifically, the Association contributed a portion of these dollars to industry research projects and a number of events, conferences and trade shows throughout California and Arizona that allow growers to gather together to learn. Significant funding was also sent directly to the California Farm Water Coalition, which is running a public education campaign about agricultural water supply shortage concerns and the significance of agriculture to the local economy.
At the Center for Land-Based Learning, Farm Credit West also supports the California Farm Academy, its new farmer training program which includes a rigorous apprenticeship program for farm managers. The program, which meets the state’s regulated apprenticeship standards, matches willing farmers with beginning growers for 3,000 hours of on-the-job training.
Farm Credit West customers Bruce and Rick Rominger of Rominger Brothers Farms, Woodland, took on a young apprentice from 2017-2019 who brought top-notch technology and organizational skills that benefited the business enormously.
“Our apprentice was smart, hardworking, diligent, and a great asset for my farm,” Bruce said. “I think it’s great Farm Credit supports the Center and this program. I’m in my 60s; there needs to be another generation coming up behind us.”
Those sentiments are the reason Farm Credit West invests a portion of its customer-owners’ hard-earned dollars back into the industry: The payoff to farmers is real and can be seen both now and in the future.
Kern County staff lead a panel at the Latino Conference, held completely in Spanish, last Fall.
Connecting Growers to Financial Resources Providing a reliable and consistent source of credit to growers of all sizes is a key objective for Farm Credit West. For this reason, our staff is proactive in providing the information needed to help small growers overcome financial burdens at industry events. Last year, Farm Credit West provided financial support and lenders spoke at several educational events targeting small farmers, including the Latino Conference, FarmLink, and the California Small Farmer Conference.
Committed to Industry
Throughout the years, Farm Credit West has been honored to partner with agriculture industry organizations in our local communities. We take an active role in local Farm Bureaus, industry organizations and commodity focused events throughout our territory. In 2019, Farm Credit West’s Hanford branch was honored by the Kings County June Dairy Month Committee as the inaugural Kings County Dairy Business of the Year.
Farm Credit West Hanford Branch staff are honored 2019 as Kings County Dairy Business of the Year by the Kings County June Dairy Month Committee.
Templeton staff serve patrons lunch at the Cattleman’s Day luncheon at the California Mid-State Fair in 2019.
Working for our Customers through Industry Groups
Farm Credit West supports industry groups not only through monetary contributions, but also through staff volunteer work. Through our participation in events benefiting industry groups, our staff stays connected on current trends in addition to giving back to those our Association serves. In 2019, we were present at dozens of industry events, ranging from the Arizona Cattlegrowers Association Convention to the Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau Farm Day.
Farm Credit West customer products are featured during a legislative reception at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.
Honoring Exceptional Operations
Each year, Farm Credit West joins with others in the agriculture industry to honor exceptional businesses. In 2019, we sponsored the California Agricultural Heritage Club and the Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors operations that have implemented unique and innovative conservation strategies in their businesses. Organizations that are inducted into the heritage club have been in operation for at least 100 years, serving as pioneers in the industry. To date, 16 Farm Credit West customers have been inducted into the Agricultural Heritage Club.
The Miller family, longtime FCW customers and owners of the Thornhill Companies, were inducted to the California Agricultural Heritage Club in 2019.
Representing Agriculture in Washington D.C.
Farm Credit West advocates for agriculture not just locally, but nationally through annual trips to meet with legislators in Washington D.C. During the 2019 Farm Credit Fly-In, Farm Credit West Board members and staff met with congressional members to highlight key areas of concern to the agriculture communities in our territory. To increase awareness of the variety of products grown in California and Arizona, Farm Credit West participated in a farmers’ market-style reception where staff visited with representatives and distributed customer products.
Senior Vice President Chuck Moore speaks at UC Davis' Meet the Buyers tour, providing information to small growers about different financing options.
Connecting Small Farmers with Buyers In February 2019, Farm Credit West joined with other California Farm Credit associations and CoBank to sponsor the Sacramento “Meet the Buyers Tour” hosted by UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP), UC Cooperative Extension Capitol Corridor, and CSU, Chico. This program provided young, beginning, and small farmers the opportunity to meet and network with local grocers, distributors, restaurants and other wholesale produce buyers. Twenty-nine farmers from Solano, Yolo, Sacramento, Butte, and Tehama counties participated in the event.
