LETTER FROM CURT HUDNUTT
I“We understand agriculture because we live it alongside you – investing in rural resilience, protecting legacies, and strengthening the systems that help farms, ranches, and communities endure the test of time.”
n an industry where markets shift, weather challenges plans, and the pace of change never slows, American producers keep showing up with grit, ingenuity, and an unwavering commitment to feed and fuel our nation. American AgCredit is built for that same long view – and a promise that producers don’t have to do it alone. We understand agriculture because we live it alongside you – investing in rural resilience, protecting legacies, and strengthening the systems that help farms, ranches, and communities endure the test of time.
As we reflect on 2025, we’ve focused on how this promise translates into real meaning – by strengthening relationships across the Farm Credit System and our communities to scale the impact of every dollar we invest,
expand the reach of our giving, and combine resources to do more for agriculture and rural communities. That includes supporting young, beginning, and small farmers, and showing up for our neighbors through giving and employee-led service. In 2025, we also made mental wellbeing in rural communities a clear priority, helping elevate resources and reduce stigma so more people can get the support they need. This focus continues. Through every high and low, we are committed to standing with agriculture and the people who sustain it.
Curt Hudnutt President and Chief Executive Officer
$1,291,037
OUR THREE PILLARS OF GIVING
Our customers, community partners, and employees share a commitment to a greater purpose — to do the work: the work needed to feed people and families, nurture the land, protect generational legacies, and support each other.
PILLAR
1
From supporting young and beginning producers to programs and practices that help farmers and ranchers serve evolving consumer preferences, we invest in the future of ag.
FFA and 4-H Support: $137,435
$125,575 provided through 93 scholarships
$494,811 to support junior livestock projects
$139,867 in grants provided through the AgYouth program to 126 students
PILLAR
2 PILLAR 3
We proudly work with organizations working to end hunger, increase food security, and support producers providing food for our country.
We stand ready to help our communities in the aftermath of natural disasters through support of immediate response and long-term recovery efforts.
Equivalent to more than 4.6 million pounds of food provided Calculated by industry standard of 1 meal equaling 1.2 lbs of food More than 3.8 million meals
Calculated by industry standard of $1 equaling three meals
$20,000 in direct disaster relief, supporting flood recovery in Kerr County, Texas and Ruidoso, New Mexico, in collaboration with Farm Credit MidAmerica, which provided additional matching funds in both communities.
$100,000+ invested in mental health support and awareness, including funding for Vibrant Emotional Health (with additional CoBank support) and Out of the Shadows initiatives.
Raising Mental Health Awareness
Amentalhealth crisis is spreading in rural households and communities across the U.S. Growing the food the world needs carries many risks. Producers grapple every day with the unique pressures of their profession, yet many times they are left with few resources to help them face these struggles. Rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other mental health challenges are much higher in rural communities.
We can’t leave farmers, ranchers and their families to confront this challenge on their own. That’s why American AgCredit – alongside producers who have experienced this reality, mental health professionals, Farm Credit
“Farmers
and the crisis in
rural America: No one knew about it because no one wanted to talk about it. We need to talk about it. We need to bring it out of the shadows.”
—Greg Mruk, Executive Director of NY FarmNet
OUT OF THE SHADOWS
THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN RURAL AMERICA
Raising Mental Health Awareness
partners, and legislative leaders – came together in 2025 to help launch conversations and action on this important issue.
Shining a light to overcome the stigma
During Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2025, American AgCredit debuted and promoted “Out of the Shadows,” a documentary film that shares the perspectives and experiences of farmers, ranchers, their loved ones, and mental health advocates and experts in their communities.
The full-length film was viewed more than 1,000 times online in the months that followed, with its trailer receiving thousands of additional social media views and impressions. Building greater awareness for those outside of agriculture, the film was screened at several film
The suicide rate in rural America has increased 46% in the last 20 years.
—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
“One of the biggest things that’s different for our agriculture community: They have very unique stressors that most other careers or jobs wouldn’t have.”
— Rachel Clews, Kansas State Extension Service
Since 2011, Jeff Witte has served as New Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture. He works to bridge the gap between legislators and the agriculture community.
Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.
Jeff Ditzenberger (pictured above) is a farmer and military veteran who founded TUGS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness.
— National Rural Health Association (NRHA)
Raising Mental Health Awareness
festivals and other events across the U.S. and shared with policymakers and leaders from other Farm Credit institutions. The documentary was added to the Farm Credit System’s resources, available to those in the industry to help advocate and support mental wellness in rural communities.
As an added step, more than 700 American AgCredit employees completed Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) training sessions. As individuals who live, work, and support rural communities directly, QPR training can be a useful tool to recognize the signs of mental distress and know what options are available.
American AgCredit and our employees donated $55,000 to Vibrant Emotional Health in 2025, which provides programs and resources to support the mental and emotional health of people in need throughout the U.S. The donations were delivered through employee-directed holiday giving efforts, a corporate contribution from American AgCredit, and a matching donation through CoBank’s Sharing Success Program.
Together, we can confront this crucial issue and help provide farmers, their families, and their communities with the mental health support they need.
“These folks are really dealing with the stress of feeding the world. And when you hear of cases where they just couldn’t take it anymore, you realize we’ve got to be there to help them.”
—Jeff Witte, New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture
New Mexico farmers Cole and Jamie Viramontes have experienced firsthand the effects of the mental health crisis in rural America, after losing a close family friend to suicide.
One in five adults in rural America reported having a mental illness in 2023.
Shortly after taking over the family farm, Amber Dykshorn-Luke lost her husband Chris to suicide. She shares her story hoping to save other families from going through what she and her children have endured.
Ellen Stewart authored the book “Mental Health in Rural America: A Field Guide.” She has more than 15 years of experience as a licensed therapist in rural New York state.
Scan to view the “Out of the Shadows” documentary.
With more than 30 years of experience in agriculture, Greg Mruk works with farmers in crisis as the Executive Director of NY FarmNet.
Helping the Next Generation Through the Power of Partnership FARM
To advance the future of American agriculture, we offer loan programs and other resources dedicated to supporting young, beginning, and small (YBS) farmers. This commitment is a part Farm Credit’s collective mission, and through shared efforts, we work to help YBS farmers with tools and programs that will assist them in navigating the fast-changing agricultural landscape.
American AgCredit is one of many associations in Farm Credit’s nationwide network of producer-owned cooperatives. We work closely with our district bank, CoBank, to provide the expertise, resources, and financial services needed to sustain agriculture. In 2025, we joined with CoBank and several other Farm Credit associations to give our members free access to AgBizInfo, a digital
platform providing comprehensive education and business resources.
• The content on AgBizInfo is specifically curated for YBS farmers and ranchers across the U.S. and draws on regularly refreshed materials from partner Farm Credit associations and affiliates.
• It includes access to webinars, videos, podcasts, articles, and more – focused on topics such as infrastructure, business planning, marketing, farm management, financing, estate and transition planning, and more.
• With many YBS farmers learning about topics like these online, AgBizInfo offers relevant, trustworthy information to help them in their journey while also introducing the Farm Credit system to a new generation.
A showcase for agricultural education
Coming together with other Farm Credit institutions helps broaden the impact we can have in our communities.
In 2025, we also joined CoBank as a sponsor of the National Western Stock Show, the premier livestock, rodeo, and horse show in the nation. American AgCredit is supporting upcoming 2026 and 2027 events in Denver through a $20,000 donation.
• More than 700,000 visitors attend the National Western Stock Show each year.
• Through our joint sponsorship, we are supporting the next generation of agriculture with youth education in livestock management, farming, ranching, and animal well-being.
CALIFORNIA
698,890
CA
State Total $ 1,282,942
Local Organizations Supported
Agri-Culture
Almond Alliance of California
Blue Diamond Growers
California FFA Foundation
California State University Stanislaus
Cal Poly Pomona Foundation
Ceres Community Project
Colorado River Fair
Community Action of Napa Valley
Community Food Bank of San Benito County
CWA-Palo Verde Valley Chapter-Blythe
Dairy Princess Committee
Emergency Food Bank-Stockton
Escondido High School
Farm Bureau Foundation of Sonoma County
Feeding America Riverside-San Bernardino
Food Bank of Monterey County
Food for People-Eureka
Fortuna FFA
Garden Joy
Growing Hope Gardens
Healdsburg Future Farmers County Fair
Humboldt County Fair Association
Humboldt County Farm Bureau
Humboldt Del Norte Cattlemen’s Association
Jurupa Valley High School
Lake County CWA
Lake County Fair
Lake County Fair Foundation
Lassen County Farm Bureau
Linden AG Boosters
Lodi District Grape Growers Association
Mendocino County Cattlemen’s Association
Merced College Agriculture Division
Merced County Fair
Merced County Food Bank
Merced County Spring Fair
Modoc County Junior Show Board
Monterey County 4-H
Monterey County Cattlemen’s Association
Monterey County Farm Bureau
Mother Lode Fair
Napa Valley Grape Growers Foundation
North Coast Livestock Events
Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Palo Verde Valley Progressive Farmers
Petaluma High FFA
Redwood Acres Fairground
Redwood Agricultural Education Foundation
Redwood Empire Fair
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Resource Conservation District of Monterey
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa
Sacramento County Fair
Saint Mary’s High School
Salinas Valley Fair
Salinas Valley Fair Heritage Foundation
San Benito Ag in the Classroom
San Benito County 4-H Club Council
San Benito County Fair
San Benito County Saddle Horse Show
San Diego Ag In the Classroom
San Joaquin Ag Fest
San Mateo County Farm Bureau
Santa Clara County Farm Bureau
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County
Siskiyou Golden Fair
Sonoma County 4-H Community Club Council
Sonoma County Fair & Exposition Inc..
Sonoma County Farm Bureau
Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation
Sonoma Marin Cattlewomen
Stanislaus County Fair
St. Helena FFA
Stone Ridge Christian
The Buckeye
Tri County Junior Livestock Show
United Samaritans Foundation
Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley
Youth Ag & Leadership Foundation of Sonoma County
Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de Los Viñedos
Who they are
In 2022, Sonoma County Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de Los Viñedos established their leadership academy to support the professional development of local vineyard employees. Each year, cohorts of 25 to 30 participants spend several months strengthening their leadership capabilities and other skills that will help them succeed in their current and future roles.
• Participants are nominated by their employer and undergo a selection process, with the aim of expanding their current job responsibilities as they grow through the program.
• In addition to deepening their leadership skills, participants learn about many aspects of vineyard operations as well as opportunities, services, and other resources available in the community for local vineyard employees and their families.
• In 2025, American AgCredit provided $20,000 that was distributed as a gift among those completing the program, in recognition of their achievements and their
Why it matters
California’s wine
• American AgCredit is a long-time partner to California’s wine industry – and like vineyards everywhere, we’re focused both on this year’s harvest and the long-term resilience of those we serve.
• Our financial support for participants in the Leadership Academy reinforces this focus, in terms of cultivating leadership among our customers’ employees and the broader communities of Sonoma County.
“We celebrate these important men and women and honor them because our wine community could not exist without their efforts and those of all our vineyard workforce.”
—Karissa Kruse, Chief Executive Officer, Sonoma County Winegrowers
FOOD FOR PEOPLE: CALIFORNIA FOOD BANKS
In 2025, we provided donations to several food banks in California. These contributions were all matched in full by CoBank’s California Food Match program. In total our contributions and CoBank matches provided ($30,000) to help end hunger and increase food security in the state.
• $3,000 to Feeding America Riverside in Riverside
• $3,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County in Watsonville
• $3,000 to Emergency Food Bank in Stockton
• $3,000 to Second Harvest of Greater Valley in Manteca
• $3,000 to Food for People in Eureka
COLORADO
Local Organizations Supported
Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program
Colorado Ag Water Alliance
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
Colorado FFA Foundation Inc..
Colorado Holstein Association
Colorado Livestock Association
Colorado Mesa University Foundation
Colorado State University Foundation
Colorado Wool Growers Association
Community Agriculture Alliance Inc..
County of Archuleta
Delta County Fair Association
Farmers All Natural
Food Bank of the Rockies
Garfield County
La Plata-Archuleta Cattlemen’s Association
La Plata County 4-H
La Plata County Fair
Larimer County Fair
Mesa County 4-H Leadership Council
Metro Caring
Moffat County Extension Fund
Montezuma Extension Office
Montrose County Fair Board
Montrose FFA
Next GEN Producers
Ouray County Fair
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Educational and Charitable Foundation Inc..
Routt County 4-H Council
Royal Crest Dairy Inc..
Sand County Foundation Inc..
San Miguel County
Silver Sage FFA Chapter
Uncompahgre Cattlemen’s Association
Valley Food Partnership
Vindeket Foods
Weld County Fair
Weld Food Bank
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Meet Becky Steckel
• A lifelong resident of Northern Colorado, she has worked in Farm Credit for 18 years out of our Greeley office. She was a founding member of American AgCredit’s Community Impact Committee and has helped form partnerships with organizations in her community.
• One of those partners is the Guadalupe Community Center, an extended-stay housing program for men, women, and families. In 2025, American AgCredit contributed $28,500 to partner with Royal Crest Dairy and provide dairy and egg products for meals throughout the day at Guadalupe Community Center as well as packed lunches for those searching for work.
• She has also helped cultivate a relationship with Poudre Valley Community Farms in Laporte, Colorado, which helps young, beginning, and small (YBS) farmers access land and water as they begin their operations.
• In 2025, she also spoke at the Grow Your Future Forum, providing an educational perspective to young, beginning, and small farmers and ranchers on financial analysis, business planning, and using commercial loans to scale up operations.
“This is the community where I was born. My father poured irrigation ditches for farmers here. These are my neighbors and the folks who feed me. So supporting organizations that help with these things has always been a priority in my life.”
— Becky Steckel, Senior Relationship Manager
Local Organizations Supported
Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii
Chaminade University of Honolulu
East Hawaii Cacao Association
Hawaii Agriculture Research Center
Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council
Hawaii Coffee Association
Hawaii Food Basket
Hawaii State Department of Education
Kaonoulu Ranch LLLP
Kau Coffee Growers Cooperative
Maui Food Bank Inc..
Meet Linus Tavares EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
• A fourth-generation resident of Hawaii, he was born and raised on Maui and his family maintained a parttime ranching operation. After completing a Master of Business Administration with a thesis on agriculture, he joined the Farm Credit System and built a 44-year career serving local farmers.
• Today, American AgCredit is the largest lender to agriculture in the state. As the director of regional banking for American AgCredit, he regularly visits customers on all the Hawaiian islands with agricultural operations. He also manages the local American AgCredit team and is involved in producer associations for a range of commodities.
• For years, American AgCredit has supported GoFarm Hawaii, an organization that benefits young, beginning,
and small (YBS) farmers and university students looking to establish diversified agriculture operations in the state. Funding from American AgCredit supports Go Farm Hawaii’s 18-month program and its teaching farms throughout the state, and Linus regularly reviews participants’ projects.
• Through GoFarm Hawaii and his role at American AgCredit, he is eager to support a new generation of Hawaii farmers and a long-term vision for agriculture in the state.
“Being able to grow our portfolio and thereby help even more farmers in our state has been a bright spot in my career. And it’s especially exciting to see young people who want to invest their time, money, and hard work in the future of Hawaiian agriculture.”
—- Linus Tavares, Director of Regional Banking
KANSAS & OKLAHOMA
Local Organizations Supported
KANSAS
Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City
Agriculture Future of America
Barber County 4-H Council
Barber County Fair Association
Barber County Spring Livestock Show
Beef Empire Days Inc.
Beefiesta
Butler County Conservation District
Butler County Fair Association
CKD 4-H Council
Clark County Fair Association Inc.
Cloud County Fair Association
Community Day Care Center
Cowley County 4-H Council
Ellsworth County Fair Association
Extension Education Foundation Inc..
Finney County Fair Board
Finney County Youth Livestock Committee Inc.
Ford County Fair Association
Fort Hays State University
Garden City Community College
Gray County Fair Board
Grow & Learn Childcare Center Inc..
Harvey County 4-H Council
Haskell County Youth Livestock Sale
Hope Center Pratt KS
ICT Food Rescue Inc.
K-State Research & Extension —
McPherson County
Kansas FFA Foundation Inc.
Kansas Food Bank Warehouse Inc.
Kansas Grown Inc.
Kansas Livestock Association
Kansas State University
Kay County Free Fair
Kearny County Conservation District
Kingman County 4-H Council
Kingman County Fair Association
Manna House
McPherson County 4-H Council
McPherson County Extension Council
Meade County Livestock Sale
North Central Kansas Livestock Circuit
Pheasant Heaven Charities Inc.
Pratt County 4-H Council
Pratt County Fair Association
Reno County Fair Association
Reno County Livestock Sale Committee
Scott County Free Fair
SC Showdown
Sedgwick County Conservation District
Sedgwick County Extension Council
Seward County 4-H Council
Seward County Conservation District
Shop Kansas Farms
Stafford County 4-H Council
Stanton County Auction
The Treehouse
Tri-Rivers Fair
United School Administrators Inc.
United School Administrators
Leadership Foundation Inc..
USD 310 Fairfield Schools
White Woman Creek Classic
White’s Foodliner - Scott City
Winter Livestock Inc.
OKLAHOMA
Comanche County 4-H Council
Comanche County Fair Association
Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
Kiowa County 4-H Council
NERA
Oklahoma FFA Foundation
Oklahoma State University
OSU Foundation
Ottawa County 4-H Foundation
Pawnee County Conservation District
Pawnee County Fair Association
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
ICT Food Rescue
Who they are
For the past decade, ICT Food Rescue has worked across the Wichita area to recover surplus food and share it with those facing food insecurity across the community.
• ICT Food Rescue partners with local donors and volunteers to safely rescue and deliver food to those who need it across the city.
• The organization conducts about 90 rescues per week. On an annual basis, this adds up to between 200,000 and 300,000 pounds of food.
• American AgCredit provided $50,000 in 2025 to sponsor a box truck to safely transport donations.
Why it matters
According to ICT Food Rescue, one out of five children in Kansas will experience food insecurity during their lifetime. Many other individuals may face temporary or recurring food insecurity for different reasons – from the loss of a job to recovery from addiction.
Yet nobody deserves to go without a meal. Since 2016, ICT Food Rescue has helped recover nearly 1.3 million meals and returned more than $2.8 million to the local economy.
“At American AgCredit, we serve farmers and ranchers, and they produce food for our country. We can’t sit back and watch food go to waste or our neighbors go hungry. We’re here to step up and help.”
—Megan
Bergstrom, Retail Processor for American AgCredit
“It feels great because it’s a collaboration within our community. It’s not just me that makes it happen. It’s not just the food donor. It’s not just the receiving agency. It’s the volunteers. It’s the funders that come in because we can’t do it without funding.”
—Stephanie Merritt, Founder and Executive Director of ICT Food Rescue
NEW MEXICO
Local Organizations Supported
All Breed Horse Show Association
Bi-County Fair
Bosque Farms Elementary Parent Teacher Committee
Centennial FFA Alumni
Chaves County Junior Livestock Inc.
Cliff-Gila Fair Association
Clovers 4 Kids Booster Club
Colfax County Fair Association
Community Foundation of Lincoln County
Corona Public Schools
County of Lea
County of Torrance
Curry County 4-H Council
Curry County Jr. Livestock Sale Committee LLC
De Baca County Fair Board
Dexter FFA Alumni
Doña Ana County Fair
Eastern NM State Fair Board
Eddy County Fair Association
EXPO NM
Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico Inc..
Guadalupe County Fair Board
Harding County Fair Association
Hidalgo County Fair Board
Lincoln County 4H Boosters
Lincoln County Fair Association
Logan Play Day
New Mexico Beef Council
New Mexico Beef Council
New Mexico Cattle Growers Association
New Mexico Chile Association
New Mexico Cotton Growers Association
New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau Foundation
New Mexico FFA Association
New Mexico Junior Livestock Foundation Inc..
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University Foundation Inc.
4-H NMSU De Baca County 4-H
Otero County Fair
Otero County Fair Association
Outstanding Farmers of America NFP
Quay County Fair Board
Rio Arriba County Fair Association
Rio Rancho Event Center
Rio Rancho Trap Teams
Roadrunner Food Bank
Roosevelt County Fair Board
Roswell Independent School District
Sand County Foundation Inc.
Sierra County Fair Association
Southern New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo
Southwestern New Mexico State Fair
South West Feeds
Texico Municipal Schools
Union County Fair Association
Valencia Fair Management Co. Inc..
In 2025, American AgCredit awarded grants to 21 New Mexico agriculture-related organizations totaling $234,000
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Casa de Peregrinos
Who they are
In 2023, American AgCredit formed the Rural Roots Endowment in New Mexico, a $10 million fund focused on investing in the long-term viability, sustainability, and profitability of agriculture and food programs in the state. That includes organizations like Casa de Peregrinos, which was awarded a grant in 2025 in support of their mission to alleviate hunger in Doña Ana County one person at a time through mobile pantries and other food rescue activities.
• The Hatch Food Pantry run by Casa de Peregrinos serves the northern rural area of the county.
• Through support from the Rural Roots Endowment, the Hatch Food Pantry increased operations from two hours per month to six hours per week.
• The pantry is also drawing from a wider range of sources – including food donations, food rescue, and purchased products – to increase the variety of foods available.
Why it matters
• The northern part of Doña Ana County served by the Hatch Food Pantry has a poverty rate of nearly 50%.
• Through this expanded funding for the pantry, Casa de Peregrinos has tripled the amount of food they provide to the surrounding community, and 99% of their clients indicate they now worry less about food.
• The Hatch Food Pantry is also purchasing products such as chilies, onions, and beans from local farmers –reinforcing the ties between growers and their neighbors.
NEVADA
Local Organizations Supported
Nevada FFA Foundation
Elko County Fair Board
Churchill County Junior Livestock Show
Elko Youth Rodeo
Nevada Junior Livestock Show Board
Modoc County Cattlewomen Association
Nevada Agricultural Foundation Friends in Service Helping
Food Bank of Northern Nevada Soulful Seeds
University of Nevada
Nevada Cattlemen’s Association
“I believe there is value in physical activity, in working with the soil, seeing what you grow, and consuming it. There’s a level of satisfaction that comes from that.”
Earstin Whitten, President and Co-founder of Soulful Seeds
Your future grows here