AgGeorgia Farm Credit recently awarded $55,000 to twelve local non-profit organizations as part of the cooperative’s Community Mission Fund. The grant program was established in 2023 to support endeavors that further the future of agriculture and enhance life in rural Georgia.  Forty-eight grant applications were received, and awards of up to $5,000 per application were distributed in the fourth quarter.

The Westfield School was selected as a recipient and used the grant to cover the cost of garden towers, gardening tools, seeds, and educational resources for their Garden Tower project.  “Our Upper School Green Team is growing herbs and vegetables thanks to a Tower Garden growing system,” says Gigi Placucci, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs for The Westfield School.  The Tower Garden growing system grows plants with water and liquid nutrients instead of dirt, and uses 98 percent less water than traditional methods, helping plants grow faster and maintain more nutrients. “This system was made possible because of AgGeorgia Farm Credit. We look forward to eating these herbs and vegetables in our cafeteria this spring!”

AgGeorgia Farm Credit will accept applications for the 2024 Community Mission Fund until June 30, 2024. For more information and to apply, please visit the AgGeorgia Farm Credit Community Mission Fund page at aggeorgia.com/community-mission-fund.

AgGeorgia Farm Credit has allocated $50,000 to support non-profit organizations in their endeavors and to further the future of agriculture in Georgia. The Community Mission Fund operates on an application-based grant system, with grants of up to $5,000 awarded per organization per year. The fund was created in 2023 and funded 12 organizations last year.

The Fund's mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging resources to preserve and promote farmers, families, and our rural communities.  The fund has two main objectives: to invest in the future of agriculture and to enhance and impact the quality of life in rural Georgia.  To be considered for funding, organizations' values and purpose must align with the fund's mission.  As part of the application, organizations are to submit a detailed proposal for a project the grant will fund.

“We are excited about the 2nd year of our Community Mission Fund program,” said Corey Cottle, CMO of AgGeorgia Farm Credit. “The organizations awarded with grants in 2023 have done some amazing things with their funding, and we are eager to see what will be accomplished by the next group of recipients.”

Grant applications will be accepted through June 30, 2024. To qualify for a grant, organizations must be located within the 79 county area where AgGeorgia Farm Credit conducts business. For more information and to apply, please visit the AgGeorgia Farm Credit Community Mission Fund page at aggeorgia.com/community-mission-fund.

“The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” – John F. Kennedy

Farmers are CEO’s
Most farmers would never consider themselves CEOs – but that’s exactly what they are. They are the chief decision-makers, overseeing a business. They also wear the hats of mechanic, meteorologist, agronomist, veterinarian, engineer, nutritionist, and more. 
Farming today truly is a business and requires knowledge not just of how to grow crops and raise livestock, but also of how to manage both finances and risk.  With a tight farm economy, understanding how to manage the farm finances and using records to make decisions is more critical than ever. 

At Farm Credit, we want your farming operation to be successful.  Whether you are coming home to the family farm, starting a first-generation business, or if you grow row crops, livestock, or vegetables, we recognize the need for all farmers to know more about business and financial management.

AGAware serves the next generation 
In 2011, the national award-winning AGAware® program was created to help ensure that future farmers will be prepared and strong financially so they may continue doing what it is they love. It’s been Farm Credit’s mission for more than one hundred years to serve farmers and rural America. 

AGAware® consists of both farm finance training workshops for young, beginning, and small farmers as well as community awareness events to help make consumers aware of what farmers actually do to put food on everyone’s table. 
Since the AGAware® program was established in 2011, more than 1000 farmers in Georgia and South Carolina have taken the classes and graduated from the program.

2024 Farm Finance Trainings
The AGAware® Workshops introduce farmers to a variety of financial-related topics critical to running an operation. These topics include Balance Sheets, Income Statements, Family Finance & Family Budgeting, Risk Management, Accrual Income, Applying for Financing, Preparing a Business Plan, Technology & Record Keeping, FSA/SBA, and Other Programs. 

AGAware® is also certified for FSA Direct Borrower Training Credits in GA, NC, and SC.

The training is open to anyone who wishes to develop a better understanding of how to run a successful farming operation, of any type and size.

All classes are held from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and a free lunch will be provided. Workshops will be held at the following Georgia locations:

Tuesday, July 16 ǀ Metter, GA ǀ Georgia Grown Innovation Center | 25 South Terrell St.  
REGISTER: AgSouthFC.com/AGAware

Friday, July 19 ǀ Moultrie, GA ǀ Lily Pond Event Center | 275 Dorminey Rd.  
REGISTER: AgGeorgia.com/AGAware

Friday, July 26 | Jefferson, GA | Jackson County Ag Facility | 1869 County Farm Rd
REGISTER: AgGeorgia.com/AGAware  

The 2024 AGAware workshops in Metter and Moultrie, Georgia are presented in partnership with Team Agriculture Georgia and USDA Risk Management Agency. The event is funded in partnership with the USDA Risk Management Agency under award number RMA23CPT0013410. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

To see other 2024 AGAware workshop opportunities in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and to register, go to AgGeorgia.com and AgSouthFC.com.

For more information about AGAware, contact Heather Brannen at Heather.Brannen@AgSouthFC.com or 912-764-9091. Or Jessica Bassett at JBassett@AgGeorgia.com 

AgGeorgia Farm Credit is pleased to announce the hiring of Jackson Wadsworth as Credit Analyst for Capital Markets.  A native of Monroe, Mr. Wadsworth attended the University of Georgia where he received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Agribusiness.  He was an ambassador for the College of Agriculture and served as President of AGR (agriculturally based fraternity).

Jackson spent the summer of 2021 as a Financial Analyst Intern with Rabo AgriFinance before moving to Denver to join the Farm Credit System with CoBank as a Senior Credit Development Associate. During this time, he completed credit rotations with the Regional Agribusiness, Corporate Agribusiness, and Power, Energy and Utilities banking groups. In 2023, Jackson became a Senior Credit Analyst for CoBank’s Corporate Agribusiness Banking Group where he helped manage a $2 billion portfolio of over twenty large and publicly traded agribusiness companies, as well as collaborated with the Capital Markets team on syndicated and participated transactions.

Mr. Wadsworth looks forward to applying his agricultural and financial experience to serve the agribusiness sector in AgGeorgia’s 79 county territory.

AgGeorgia Farm Credit is pleased to announce the hiring of Bryce Murkerson in the position of Appraiser.  A native of Pulaski County, Bryce graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in economics.  He interned in the summer of 2022 within the Farm Credit System.

Mr. Murkerson resides in Hawkinsville with his parents, Jay and Lesley, and two sisters, Jenni and Ansley.   Bryce enjoys sports, especially the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs, along with golf.

AgGeorgia Farm Credit is pleased to announce the promotion of Rachael Crowell to Employee Experience Manager. In this role, Rachael will work with the Human Resources team on employee engagement, event planning, onboarding, and promoting a positive work environment for staff.  

Mrs. Crowell began her career with AgGeorgia in June of 2021 as Corporate Secretary. She was previously employed with the City of Warner Robins for over a decade and has over ten years of experience in Human Resources which includes employee onboarding, payroll and record keeping, event management, and coordinating training.

Rachael lives in Warner Robins with her husband Alan and their children Cameron and Dylan (and five dogs).  AgGeorgia looks forward to the contributions Rachael will make to the Human Resources team in her new role.

AgGeorgia Farm Credit is pleased to announce the addition of Stephanie Jackson as Regional Lending Manager. In this role, Stephanie will supervise, train and support Loan Officers in AgGeorgia’s Dublin, Perry, Sandersville, and Waynesboro Branches, which collectively serve 25 counties.

Mrs. Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing and is no stranger to the farm or agricultural lending. “As a farmer’s daughter, agriculture is very important to me,” said Stephanie. “I grew up on a cattle and row crop farm in Telfair County and learned the value of hard work and an appreciation for agriculture.” Mrs. Jackson also worked for USDA Farm Service Agency for over 15 years and held multiple positions over her tenure, serving the longest in the position of Farm Loan Manager for 25 counties.

Mrs. Jackson fills the position formerly held by Melissa Redd, who was recently promoted to Director of Loan Operations. “I'm excited about adding Stephanie to our Regional Lending Manager team,” said Nick Hartley, Chief Lending Officer for AgGeorgia. “I've known Stephanie for over 10 years and I’ve seen her develop as a leader in agricultural finance. Her leadership will provide continuity of the excellent service members have come to expect under Melissa Redd and will allow Ms. Redd the capacity to focus on her new leadership role.”  

Mrs. Jackson resides in Perry with her husband, Ron, and daughter Presley. Stephanie looks forward to utilizing her agricultural background, networks, and finance experience to meet the borrowing needs of the farmers and rural land owners in her region.

AgGeorgia Farm Credit is pleased to announce the hiring of Susan Shirey as Compliance Officer.  Ms. Shirey received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. where she graduated with honors and was inducted into the national honor society, Phi Beta Kappa.  She has more than thirty years of experience in residential mortgage banking, including managing compliance, operations, secondary marketing, underwriting, and processing.  Susan worked the past four years as the Director of Compliance for an independent mortgage bank located in Gainesville. Prior to that, she was the Senior Compliance Officer at Fidelity Bank Mortgage in Atlanta for 8 years.

A native of New York, Mrs. Shirey moved to Georgia with her husband to be closer to family.  She resides in Flowery Branch and has two married children, and one granddaughter.  In her leisure time, Susan enjoys boating, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

AgGeorgia Farm Credit is pleased to announce that dividends totaling $14,482,000 have been declared by its board of directors, marking 36 consecutive years that profits have been returned to member-borrowers. AgGeorgia’s Patronage Refund Program has now paid out over $464 million in cash over that span.

The cooperative broke records in 2023 in multiple financial performance categories. “Our remarkable membership and staff did it again, with new highs for total assets, loans, stockholder equity, and asset quality,” noted AgGeorgia CEO Rob Crain. “The resulting earnings enable us to safely distribute these profits to member-borrowers, allowing them to pay down debt or invest as they choose.”

Glee Smith, Chair of AgGeorgia’s Board of Directors, added that the effects of the refunds are substantial for her community. “The majority of this distribution goes to members in rural areas where the impact is proportionately greater,” said Ms. Smith. “As a resident of a small town [Warrenton, Ga.], it is great to know that we are not only helping our borrowers, but also helping to stimulate our local economy.”

The refund, from 2023 earnings, lowers the average member’s stated rate by 1%. All of the distribution is in cash, as opposed to 2021 and years prior, when refunds were divided between cash and surplus to be paid years later. Members who have previously signed up for ACH/direct deposit can expect their portion to be deposited by the first week of April. Those who have not can expect a check to be mailed that same week.