Jamie McConnell
Equine Committee Chairman
Jamie McConnell of Chilton County says being a farmer is about more than just working hard — it’s about enjoying what Mother Nature provides. McConnell, 32, grew up riding horses and rodeoing. Today, he’s chairman of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Equine State Committee. As a manager at Sunshine Farms, he raises horses, cattle, timber, peaches, tomatoes and strawberries. A graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences, McConnell said some of his best days on the farm are spent showing kids how things work. “It’s great having them come out and see where their food comes from,” he said. McConnell and his wife, Davidica, are members of Bethsalem Baptist Church. They have three children, twins Colt and Claire, 8, and Cullen James, 1.
FIRST SOUTH FARM CREDIT PAYS $9 MILLION CASH PATRONAGE Ridgeland, MS – In April, member-borrowers of First South Farm Credit will receive patronage refund checks for 2011, according to Roger F. Chappell, CEO. The amount of patronage declared for borrowers of First South Farm Credit will total $20 million from 2011 earnings. The cash portion of the refund to be paid in April will total $9 million, or approximately 13 percent of the interest that accrued on their loans in 2011. The remainder will be placed in allocated capital accounts for future revolvement. “First South Farm Credit had another successful year in 2011. We are pleased to be able to share our success with our borrowers by putting our profits in their pockets,” said Ray Makamson, Chairman of the First South board of directors.“This is the 17th consecutive year we’ve paid a patronage refund. Over that period of time, First South has declared patronage totaling over $209 million to be paid to its member-borrowers through patronage refunds and retirements of allocated surplus.” APRIL 2012
“When we distribute our profits to our borrowers it reduces their effective cost of borrowing,” Chappell stated, “and it proves there are distinct financial benefits in doing business on a cooperative basis. We give you a competitive interest rate up front, then return a portion of our profits back to you through the patronage program.” First South Farm Credit is a farmer-owned cooperative providing short, intermediate and long-term financing and related services to full and part-time farmers, agricultural-related businesses and rural residents in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. First South serves 5,000 members with loans outstanding totaling over $1.4 billion through its network of over 40 branch offices in its three state territory.
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