AUGUST 2021
Message from the President If your family is like ours, you are finding yourself much busier this summer compared to last. We are seeing our calendar fill up quickly, and the days of juggling schedules to attend various family and other events have returned. Adding to the busyness is the additional days of vacation scheduled this year since we did not do much vacationing last year. I will admit I do miss last year’s slower pace. BRIAN RICKER
Here at AgCredit, we are thankful for a number of things, including seeing the return of many of the events that were canceled in 2020. One event coming back is our participation with youth swine showmanship (Pee Wee Showmanship) at several of the area fairs. We are very excited to help out with these shows again. Those early years of showing livestock at the fair are wonderful memories for so many of us. The opportunity to host appreciation events across the association is also possible again. We are looking forward to seeing our members at the area fairs and other AgCredit events this summer. Our AgCredit team and Board of Directors are now gathering for in-person meetings with no restrictions, and our employees recently got together for a picnic, where they enjoyed meeting new team members in person and catching up with one other. In November, a group of us are planning to travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the Farm Credit National Fly-In. The event is an opportunity to visit with our members of Congress and demonstrate Farm Credit’s impact on rural communities and the important role we play in supporting farmers, ranchers and rural infrastructure. One of the highlights of the fly-in is the Farm Credit Marketplace reception. The reception is extremely popular with members of Congress, their staff and members of the administration due to all the incredible farm products that are
on display. AgCredit is planning to showcase a number of products produced by our members during the reception. Despite these positive developments, we recognize the pandemic continues to affect our lives and our economy in various ways. Many businesses in need of workers are experiencing challenges finding the help they need. It is commonplace to see “help wanted” signs as you drive by many businesses. There are many factors causing the labor issues, and we believe these issues, while frustrating, will soon be resolved. Inflationary pressures brought on by an array of events, such as record government stimulus, increased and prolonged unemployment benefits and a variety of global supply chain issues, are some of the main forces behind higher inflation. Automobiles, farm equipment, fuel and more have increased in price. Producers raising cash grain commodities, including corn, soybeans and wheat, have experienced some favorable tailwinds with some significant increase in grain prices. For those in agriculture who raise livestock to produce eggs, meat and milk, prices have not increased at the same level as the grain prices, which is resulting in some potential margin pressure. Our nursery and greenhouse operations have also experienced some favorable tailwinds with increasing demand and revenues for their products. We are definitely in a period of economic adjustment as the tail of the pandemic continues to impact some industries more favorably than others. No one could have predicted a year ago that we would be having record-high commodity prices, inflation would be a concern and the need for labor would be so widespread. I share this because things can change very quickly, and a year from now, the impact and concerns will more than likely be different than what we are experiencing today. Similar to the many issues we dealt with last year when meat processing plants were temporarily shut down, ethanol plants were shuttered and many other negative events were being experienced, this too shall pass. It will simply take some time.
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Mission Fund:
Last Chance to Apply! The deadline to apply for the 2021 AgCredit Mission Fund is August 31, 2021. Visit AgCredit.net to read all guidelines and to submit an application for your organization. Organizations can apply for up to $15,000.00 each year in one of the four focus areas. • Education • Technology
• Environment • Quality of Rural Life
Since 2018, we’ve awarded $219,000.00 to 20 deserving organizations. Yours could be next—apply today!
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FARMING OPERATIONS EARN ENDURING FARM DESIGNATIONS CARS, CIGARS AND KIDS THESE DAYS AGCREDIT ADDRESSES CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS THREE TYPES OF RECORDS USED FOR CROP INSURANCE YIELD REPORTING MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATORS / TELL US WHAT YOU THINK AROUND AGCREDIT FFA 110% AWARDS FARM SCIENCE REVIEW
PRESIDENT - Brian Ricker
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dustin Sonnenberg, Chairman David Conrad, Vice Chairman Deborah Johlin-Bach Gary Baldosser Kevin Flanagan Daniel Rengert Scott Schroeder David Stott, Ph.D. Michael Stump Michael Thiel
Miller City FFA, 2020 Recipient
EDITOR - Kayla Laubacher
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
Address changes, questions, comments or requests for copies of our financial reports should be directed to AgCredit, ACA by writing 610 W. Lytle Street, Fostoria, OH 44830, or calling 800-837-3678. Our financial reports can also be obtained on our website: www.agcredit.net IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE We may report information about your account to credit bureaus. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account may be reflected in your credit report. WHISTLEBLOWER INFORMATION Reports of suspected or actual wrongdoing can be made anonymously and confidentially through the SpeakUp Whistleblower hotline or online. All information submitted to SpeakUp is taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.
Southeast Ambulan
ce District, 2020 Re
WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE WITH SPEAK UP: 1-844-850-6494 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
cipient
WHISTLEBLOWER ONLINE REPORTING: https://www.convercent.com/report We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, military service, or any other non-merit based factor.
Triple B Gra
in Farms, B
rad, Don, a
nd Matt Bo
Brent, Dean and Kendra von
ehm
Stein
FIELD NOTES:
AgCredit supported farming operations earn
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Enduring Farm designations Two farms owned and operated by AgCredit members were recently recognized by the Legacy Farmers Cooperative, a Growmark/FS agricultural retailer, for their efforts to minimize their impact on the environment.
DAVID WHITE
Triple B Grain Farms, located near Rawson, and von Stein Farms of Jenera were both designated Enduring Farms, an honor awarded to agricultural operations that safeguard natural resources for future generations through soil and water quality preservation.
Owned by Don, Matt and Brad Boehm, Triple B Grain Farms earned the designation of Enduring Farm Plus for establishing practices related to nutrient water quality, sensitive area management and the use of cover crops. The Boehms use strip tillage for most of their 1,100 acres. von Stein Farms, an Enduring Farm that produces hay and straw, is owned by Brent, Dean and Craig von Stein. The Enduring Farms program applauds FS customers who adopt the following agricultural best practices outlined in the 4R nutrient stewardship initiative
(nutrientstewardship.org), a joint effort of the Fertilizer Institute, International Plant Nutrition Institute, International Fertilizer Industry Association and the Canadian Fertilizer Institute:
RIGHT SOURCE
RIGHT RATE
RIGHT TIME
RIGHT PLACE
Matches fertilizer type to crop needs.
Matches amount of fertilizer type to crop needs.
Makes nutrients available when crops need them.
Keeps nutrients where crops can use them.
For more information about the Enduring Farms recognition program, visit www.fssystem.com/Sustainability/Enduring-Farms.
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
BY DAVID WHITE, ACCOUNT MANAGER FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Cars, Cigars and Kids These Days: Trespasses and Property Damage BY RYAN CONKLIN, ATTORNEY, WRIGHT & MOORE LAW CO., LPA
When I talk with farmers about protecting their property, it’s usually in the context of succession planning. While that kind of preparation is certainly important for maintaining your legacy, there are other steps you can and should take to ensure your farm is protected — from trespassers.
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
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Stories about damage to farms can be found on social media or told around the table at your local diner. RYAN CONKLIN Incidents can involve off-roading in a field, a car accident that damaged fencing, lit tobacco products causing small fires or young people using a property for recreation. While each example results in property damage, you could have two distinct legal theories to help pursue criminal action or recovery of damages.
• Have you eliminated known dangers that could harm someone? • Were your self-help measures against a trespasser appropriate? • Did you give permission to someone on the property or somehow contribute to your own damages? Each of these questions is accompanied by its own analysis, and to recover damages, you may need to prove several points. If you’re struggling to address a trespassing issue or have suffered property damage caused by a third party, it’s wise to engage your legal counsel to assist you. Some trespasses or property damage is unavoidable. If the intent is there, people are going to do harmful things to your farm no matter what you do. However, to give yourself the strongest legal case, I suggest:
On the criminal side, Ohio law allows for the prosecution of individuals who enter or remain on someone else’s land without permission to be there. Permission can mean express authorization, invitation or inducement by a landowner, tenant or other person with authority to grant access. And if crops are damaged or a fire is started, other crimes — such as criminal damaging or arson — may apply. In order to help your county prosecutor prove that a crime has been committed, it’s important to document instances of trespassing in as much detail as possible.
• Posting easy-to-see signage around your property to deter trespassers and warn them of potential dangers.
However, to prevail in a civil case and obtain damages for trespass or property damage, you must address a different set of issues. Questions to consider include:
• Giving recreational users permission to use the land – without charging them a fee.
• Did the individual actually take an action to cause damage or was that person merely present on the property? • Did you post proper signage? • Does the trespasser qualify as a recreational user? • Do you have an attractive nuisance on the property, such as a pond or idle farm machinery
• Eliminating or clearly warning against known dangers on the property, such as holes, dead trees and attractive nuisances for area children. • Inspecting your property for dangerous conditions if you know your property is an attractive target for trespassers.
• Not setting traps or engaging in uses of force or citizen arrests. • Carefully and thoroughly documenting trespassing incidents, including any warning steps you took to dissuade the trespasser, curative measures, tracks or damage that occurred. For more information about farm trespassing, legal bulletins and fact sheets published by Ohio State Extension are great resources. Ohio Farm Bureau members can check out The Landowner Toolkit published by the group and available online.
Visiting wit h
Representa tive Jim Jord a
n (center)
Legislative update
AgCredit addresses Congressional leaders on key ag issues
BY DAVID WHITE, ACCOUNT MANAGER FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
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During the meetings, AgCredit CEO and President Brian Ricker provided an update on how the association DAVID WHITE worked with its member-borrowers through pandemic related challenges, which involved processing payroll protection program loans offered by the Small Business Administration. With the first two rounds of funding, AgCredit processed more than $62 million in loans for 3,150 current and new members to assist small businesses, including farmers, with financial relief during the pandemic. These funds supported payroll and related costs with forgivable, government guaranteed loans. The focus during the meetings was on climate change and strategy, which continues to gain traction on Capitol Hill since being proposed by the current administration. The Farm Credit Council — the trade organization that represents Farm Credit system institutions throughout the country, including AgCredit – is a member of the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance. The Alliance supports boosting voluntary private carbon markets and incentivizing producer participation, while advocating for voluntary, incentive-driven programs for
climate change. It believes federal policy should support farmers, ranchers and forest owners as they tackle the challenges created by climate change. The Alliance’s policy recommendations cover six areas of focus: 1. Soil health 2. Livestock and dairy 3. Forest and wood products 4. Energy 5. Research and food loss 6. Waste The organization represents farmers, ranchers, forest owners, agribusinesses, manufacturers, the food and innovation sector, state governments, sportsmen and environmental advocates. These groups have broken historical barriers to develop and promote shared climate policy priorities across the entire agriculture, food and forestry value chains. Additional issues discussed during the meetings included the state of the farm/ ag economy, supply chain issues, impact of various tax proposals on memberborrowers and broadband needs of farmers and rural communities. As we participate in future meetings with congressional leaders, we will continue to update them on our efforts, while addressing issues facing rural America and agriculture.
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
Recently, AgCredit participated in meetings with members of Congress and their respective staff whose congressional district includes counties in AgCredit’s chartered territory. This includes Representatives Robert Latta, Troy Balderson, Marcy Kaptur, Bob Gibbs and Jim Jordan.
Three types of records used for crop insurance yield reporting BY CALEB DOUCE, DOUCE AGENCY, LLC
Remember the adage “cross your t’s and dot your i’s”? That simply means we all should be ensuring that seemingly minor details are addressed. That’s true of many things in life, including yield reporting for crop insurance.
CALEB DOUCE
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There are three types of records you can use to report yields. How they’re reported is up to you, but ensuring that your t’s are crossed and your i’s are dotted is important for all three.
Hard records These production records show proof of the final disposition of the total crop and are verifiable by a third party. These records should be kept through final disposition of the total crop. Hard records include settlement sheets, signed appraisals, precision farming records and storage structure measurements.
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
Soft records These are documents that must be supplied to separate production by unit, practice, type or variety. Soft records include weigh slips, load records, combine monitor records and bin markings.
Livestock feeding records If all or some of the harvested crops are feed, the total amount should be measured or appraised by an approved insurance provider, or AIP, using livestock feeding records. These records must: • • • • •
Be in writing. Identify the crop year of harvest. Provide the unit number the harvest came from. Be contemporaneous for each feeding as the feeding occurs. Provide the amount of production, by crop, fed at each feeding.
Here are a couple of important points to consider: • If you request a measurement on a prior-year production, that request must be made at least 15 days before the beginning of the harvest of the current year production. • If you co-mingle new crop on top of old crop in a bin, the old crop becomes new crop and could prevent a loss claim. It’s up to individual producers to decide the best way to report their yields, but the most important thing for any farmer to do is to pay attention to the details when doing so. If you have questions about recording and reporting yields, be sure to reach out to your agent.
740-386-2991
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e b y a m e m o h m ea d r r u o y Owning easier than you think!
Did you know AgCredit offers a streamlined home loan process? Contact a Mortgage Loan Originator today to turn your residential dreams into reality!
Our Mortgage Loan Originators: CRAIG COUGHLIN NMLS#339722 Erie, Huron & Lorain counties
440-204-8442 ccoughlin@agcredit.net
MATT GRAY
NMLS#499868 Henry, Wood & Lucas counties
419-575-8614 mgray@agcredit.net
MICHAEL KLEINKNECHT NMLS#965776 Crawford, Marion & Morrow counties
419-560-9328 mkleinknecht@agcredit.net
KATHY TALBERT
Financing Available for: • Home Purchases • Home Construction • Refinancing • Residential Building Sites • Home Equity • Pole Building Houses • Rural Recreation Properties
NMLS#2160394 Ottawa, Sandusky & Seneca counties
419-680-5672 ktalbert@agcredit.net
ALLISON WALTON NMLS#519889 Hancock, Hardin & Wyandot counties
419-348-3544 awalton@agcredit.net
Tell us what you think! Our annual customer satisfaction survey will be coming to you in September via email. If you’d like to participate in the survey—be sure your Account Officer has your correct email address on file!
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• Early access to the Leader magazine • Opportunity to participate in our customer satisfaction survey • Notifications of upcoming events and important information
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
Benefits of being on our email list:
Around AgCredit Welcome New Employees!
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
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Summer Interns
MATTHEW DAVIS
MCKENZIE DAVENPORT
KYLEE FRANKART
ASHLEY WELDON
KARTER CONVERSE
CLAIRE MEYER
Matthew Davis joined the Agribusiness team as a Capital Markets Officer in March.
Mckenzie Davenport began her career at AgCredit as a Loan Accountant in Tiffin in April.
Kylee Frankart joined the Tiffin team as a Loan Accountant in April.
Ashley Weldon joined AgCredit as a Branch Operations Assistant in Fostoria in April.
Karter Converse is a senior at The Ohio State University majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics. He is working with the Training team in Fostoria.
Claire Meyer is a junior at The Ohio State University majoring in Agricultural Communications. She is working with multiple departments at the Fostoria Admin office.
SARAH WONDERLY
RENEE MILLER
BARBARA CYTLAK
ALEXIS MILLER
Sarah Wonderly started her career with AgCredit as a Branch Operations Assistant in Fostoria in April.
Renee Miller joined the Tiffin team as a Loan Specialist in May.
Barbara Cytlak became a full-time Accountant in Fostoria in May. Barb previously worked as a Temp employee to help process SBA PPP loans.
Alexis Miller began her career with AgCredit as a Loan Accountant in Fremont in June.
HUNTER SANDWISCH
BETTY VORST
Hunter Sandwisch is a senior at The Ohio State University majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics. He is working with the Norwalk team.
Betty Vorst is a junior at The Ohio State University majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics. She is working with the Napoleon team.
ERIC RITTER
REECE BERRIER
Eric Ritter is a senior at The Ohio State University majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics. He is working with the Bowling Green office.
Re e ce B e r r i e r i s a freshman at The Ohio State University majoring in Computer Engineering. He is working with the IMD team at the Fostoria Admin office.
Calendar September 6
Offices Closed for Labor Day
October 11
Offices Closed for Columbus Day
November 25 & 26
Offices Closed for Thanksgiving
Save the date Mark your calendar
for the evening of December 13, 2021! We will kick-off our 2021-2022 webinar series featuring Dr. David Kohl from Virginia Tech’s Farm Management Institute.
DR. DAVID KOHL
Chayten Overholt and Ryanna Tietje were winter interns who were featured in our last Leader. They are continuing their internships through the summer as well.
Stay Connected with us! Email marketing@agcredit.net to join our email list!
Election Results
Years of Service Awards MAY-AUGUST
5
YEARS
MICHAEL THIEL
DAVID CONRAD
Gary Baldosser, Michael Thiel, and David Conrad were re-elected to serve another three-year term on AgCredit’s Board of Directors. Gary represents Region 5, Seneca County, Michael represents Region 6, Marion and Wyandot Counties, and David represents Region 8, Erie, Huron and Lorain Counties. County Crawford Erie Hancock Hardin Henry Huron Lorain Lucas Marion Morrow Ottawa Paulding Putnam Sandusky Seneca Van Wert Wood Wyandot
Nominating Committee Member Casey Niese Tadd Smith Ryan George Dustin Wilcox Ben Elchinger Edward Dalton Laurie Grobe Dan Fritsch Nathan Smith Vicki Ruhl Daniel A Jensen Jerry L Klopfenstein Jeff Schroeder Andrew Warner John R Schumm Troy Ross Dale Brown Brent Frobose
Alternate Michael Kent Sparky Weilnau Adam Kirian Craig Eibling Cary Drewes David Kamm Robert Davidson Bob Hoen Brian Barkley Jim Meimer Thomas Schuffenecker Rick King David Moser Marcus Gonya Shawn Kirian Brian W Callow Scott Apple Thomas Bils
OPTIMIZE YO U R F UTU R E
AMY SCHWANGER
ANTHONY MUNOZ
MARISSA NORTHRUP
FELICIA KNEPPER
FARRAH SHERMAN
10
YEARS
CARRIE SCHLECHTER
30
35
YEARS
YEARS
40
YEARS
9 KATHY TALBERT
DAN EBERT
TOM SCHNEIDER
You drive your profitability from field prep to harvest. Let us make it easier with fast and timely financing options. Ask your local equipment dealer about Farm Credit EXPRESS.
farmcreditexpress.com
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
GARY BALDOSSER
Around AgCredit
FFA 110% Awards The AgCredit FFA 110 Percent Award is given to students who give 110 percent effort in their FFA Chapters. We appreciate the hard work these young people give to their chapters and communities.
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
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Logan Mahler
Fremont Branch Clyde High School Sandusky County
Hunter Wilhelm
Napoleon Branch Holgate High School Henry County
Lance Good
Corin Feik Bucyrus Branch Colonel Crawford High School Crawford County
Preston Clark
Gavin Eagleson
Allison Scott and Levi Hartschuh Bucyrus Branch Wynford High School Crawford County
Samantha Engler
Kenton Branch Hardin Northern High School Hardin County
Mt. Gilead Branch Mt. Gilead High School Morrow County
Napoleon Branch Patrick Henry High School Henry County
Napoleon Branch Liberty Center High School Henry County
Aaron Artrip
Jazmine Auble
Donald Crawford
Mckenzie Danhoff
Norwalk Branch Plymouth High School Huron/Richland Counties
Norwalk Branch Wellington High School Lorain County
Norwalk Branch Firelands High School Lorain County
Norwalk Branch Willard High School Huron County
Aubrey Michaels
Cassidy Mrakuzic
Holden Nuhn
Norwalk Branch Bellevue High School Erie County
Norwalk Branch Black River High School Ashland County
Norwalk Branch Western Reserve High School Huron County
Zach Allgyre
Breanna Brock
Genna Elchert
Tiffin Branch Seneca East High School Seneca County
Savannah Kinley
Upper Sandusky Branch Upper Sandusky High School Wyandot County
Tiffin Branch Tiffin Sentinel High School Seneca County
Tiffin Branch New Riegel High School Seneca County
Elyse Lortz
Chamberlynn Couts
Upper Sandusky Branch Carey High School Wyandot County
Van Wert Branch Crestview High School Van Wert County
Emily Wells
Grace Homier
Norwalk Branch JVS High School Lorain County
Ottawa Branch Miller City High School Putnam County
Seth Miller
Emma Shellhammer
TIffin Branch Old Fort High School Seneca County
Tiffin Branch Hopewell-Louden High School Seneca County
Jase Delgado
Sydney Reineck
Van Wert Branch Lincolnview High School Van Wert County
Van Wert Branch Paulding High School Paulding County
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Emily Keiser
Daniel Utz
Madison Roth
Cole Nissen
Zoe Parrott
Faith Evans
Megan Inbody
Caleb Lewis
Hailey Stearns
Juli Ward
Lynette Bechstein
Paige Hartman
Ethan Klotz
Collin Wallace
Hannah Spoerr
Brynn Pope
Alyssa Schwab
Macy Perry
Kaitlin Heberling
Abby Dyer
Thomas Phillips
Calista Greeg
Jacob Groweg
Justin Radel
Faith Meraz
Bowling Green Branch Eastwood High School Wood County Bowling Green Branch Bowling Green High School Wood County Bowling Green Branch Bowling Green High School Wood County Bucyrus Branch Buckeye Central High School Crawford County Bucyrus Branch Buckeye Central High School Crawford County
Bucyrus Branch Buckeye Central High School Crawford County Findlay Branch Cory-Rawson High School Hancock County Findlay Branch Arlington High School Hancock County Findlay Branch McComb High School Hancock County Findlay Branch Van Buren High School Hancock County
Findlay Branch Arcadia High School Hancock County Fremont Branch Oak Harbor High School Ottawa County Fremont Branch Lakota High School Sandusky County Fremont Branch Woodmore High School Ottawa County Fremont Branch Gibsonburg High School Sandusky County
Fremont Branch Genoa High School Ottawa County Fremont Branch Fremont High School Sandusky County Kenton Branch Ridgemont High School Hardin County Kenton Branch Kenton High School Hardin County Mt. Gilead Branch Cardington High School Morrow County
Mt. Gilead Branch Northmor High School Morrow County Mt. Gilead Branch Highland High School Morrow County Norwalk Branch New London High School Huron County Upper Sandusky Branch Mohawk High School Wyandot County Van Wert Branch Wayne Trace High School Paulding County
AGCREDIT LEADER AUGUST 2021
Not Pictured
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE
PAID
COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT 1183
610 W. Lytle Street Fostoria, OH 44830
Join us at Farm Science Review Farm Science Review is the Premiere Agricultural Education and Industry Exposition!
September 21-23, 2021 We will have a tent at Lot #535, located at the Intersection of Land Avenue and Tractor Street. Look for the green AgCredit banners! Join us for giveaways, a water break, and enter to win a Blackstone Griddle! We look forward to seeing you there!
AgCredit.net