Facing another year of economic uncertainty and market volatility, customers of Farm Credit Mid-America have something to look forward to. The farmer-owned lender will return $260 million in net earnings to eligible customer-owners this March. This significant return, made possible through Farm Credit Mid-America’s patronage program, underscores one of the many benefits of belonging to the farmer-owned cooperative.
Over the past nine years, Farm Credit Mid-America’s board of directors has approved more than $1.5 billion in net earnings be returned to eligible customers-owners in its service territory of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.
“Farm Credit Mid-America exists to secure the future of rural communities and agriculture. To achieve this, we put our customer-owners first,” says Tara Durbin, chief lending officer agriculture at Farm Credit Mid-America. “We understand our customers are facing a lot of uncertainty, and while we can’t take that uncertainty away, returning a portion of net earnings back into their hands is a reminder of our commitment to stand beside them even in the most challenging times.”
Customers use their patronage return in a variety of ways, which include paying down debt, purchasing new equipment or input purchases ahead of Spring planting.
“We know that farmers are resilient and will weather this current economic cycle. We are here to help them along the way. Our patronage program is a reminder of the many cooperative benefits available to them,” says Durbin. “From access to webinars that share best financial practices for their operations, to participating in our annual elections for our board of directors and nominating committee, to seeing the impact of the $5 million we invest back in rural communities to support the next generation of agriculture leaders, we are committed to providing as much value to our customers as possible.”
Patronage is an annual decision made by Farm Credit Mid-America’s board of directors to return earnings to eligible customers. The amount of patronage a customer receives is proportionate to the amount of earnings generated by their eligible business in 2024.
Learn more about Farm Credit Mid-America’s patronage program, including eligibility requirements and customer-owner testimonials.
