2022 Fund for Rural America Annual Report

FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA ®

2022 IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS ▲

Leading Through Giving

2022 was a milestone year for Compeer Financial as we celebrated our five-year anniversary. When Compeer was formed in 2017, our Board made a strong commitment to giving back by allocating 1% of net earnings to philanthropy each year through our corporate giving program, the Fund for Rural America®

Over the course of the past five years, we gave back $22.4 million through the Fund for Rural America and our donor-advised funds. We’ve accomplished this through 2,675 grants, 698 scholarships and 506 annual commitments and one-time gifts

In 2022 alone, the Fund committed $4.8 million to support grants, scholarships, annual commitments and one-time gifts benefiting organizations across our 144-county territory. We maintain a strong connection with our communities, giving 95% of our dollars to support local and regional groups that are making an impact.

One of the key investments we made in 2022 was increasing the maximum grant amount from $3,000 to $4,000 for several of our grant programs. We also launched a grant dedicated to supporting collaboration efforts between emergency response departments and providing the funding for much-needed shared equipment. You can read more about this grant on pages 8-9.

The Fund is committed to serving all facets of agriculture and supporting those who are enhancing the future of the industry. One way we do this is by partnering with groups that educate about and build the exposure of agriculture with new communities. In 2022, we supported an innovative approach to youth involved in urban agriculture and food production (see pages 10-11).

And while we are always looking for ways to enhance the impact of our giving, our annual commitments remain core to what we do. These include yearly support for FFA, universities with agriculture programs, Agriculture in the Classroom and others. On pages 12-13, we explore the impact we’ve seen through our support of 4-H throughout our territory.

As we look forward to 2023, the Fund for Rural America is embracing Compeer’s focus on rural vitality. While the Fund has always supported local community projects and programs, we are making an expanded commitment to provide even more support. The Agriculture and Rural Initiative, our donor-advised fund, has committed $3 million over the next three years for matching grants to support rural communities. We will share more about this grant program in the coming months.

While I know the Fund for Rural America’s Board of Trustees is proud of these milestones, I hope each and every member-owner is as well. We see a bright future for agriculture and rural communities due in part to all of our combined efforts to give back.

Chair, Board of Trustees Compeer Financial

$4.8M Amount contributed to the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America ® in 2022

588 Grants distributed 12 Grant programs offered annually

The Fund focuses its giving within Compeer Financial's territory to five areas important to our clients and rural communities:

AGRICULTURAL ADVOCACY & DEVELOPMENT

Supports programs for direct farmer impact, agriculture industry advocacy, agriculture leadership development and consumer awareness.

• 80 markets and 24 farmers impacted by Farmers Market Grants

• Supported the production of AgMags and online education for Agriculture in the Classroom

• $15,000 in support for Farmer Veteran Coalitions

• Partnered with state fairs in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin

• Supported professional development for 325 ag teachers in Wisconsin

AGRICULTURE EDUCATION

Supports all levels of formal agriculture education through programs, equipment and facility support and scholarships.

152 Scholarships awarded

922,043 Youth directly impacted with $1.2M in gifts

• 29 scholarships offered at eight state universities with agriculture programs

• 65 agriculture classrooms added new equipment

• Supported farmdoc: providing analysis, tools and data to help Cornbelt farmers make better decisions; 1.2 million users in 2022

• Grants directly to 42 young, beginning or small farmers

COOPERATIVE INITIATIVES

Supports the cooperative model through client education support, local giving and team member engagement activities.

• $211,034 donated directly to local causes from Compeer offices

• Supported Compeer educational events for 3,673 clients

• 5,364 food kits packed in honor of Compeer's five-year anniversary

RURAL DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT

Supports efforts to increase vitality of rural communities, promote economic development and enrich programs for rural residents.

1.1M People facing food insecurity supported

116 Annual & One-Time Gifts given 95% of giving made a local, county or regional impact

1.8M Rural residents impacted

• Equipped 4,946 first responders with emergency response equipment

• 46 gifts impacted organizations combating food insecurity

• $432,990 in General Use Grants to 60 different organizations

• Rural Feasibility Study Grants supported 9 community projects

• Partnered on development of Rural Entrepreneurship Program with Minnesota and Wisconsin Extension

• 15 Emergency Response Equipment Collaboration Grants

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

56% of organizations supported benefited from time/talent of Compeer team members

Supports established programs that promote youth leadership, civic engagement and wellness.

• More than $202,500 to FFA and 4-H State Associations

• Benefiting more than 75,650 youth and young adults

• Supporting leadership development and agriculture's future

Collaborating to SAVE LIVES

DARIEN, Wis. — Teamwork is critical when volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance departments need to respond to emergencies — especially in rural America.

Many communities have seen volunteerism dwindle over the last few decades. And with fewer volunteers, emergency responders don’t have the same capacity to raise the funds needed to purchase vital lifesaving equipment as in the past.

“I’ve been a firefighter with the Sharon Fire Department for 38 years,” explained Bruce Vander Veen, who also farms, raising registered Jerseys and growing 650 acres of corn and soybeans with his brother. “Through the years, it’s gotten harder and harder in rural communities to staff emergency response vehicles, especially ambulances. Many of us are looking to our neighboring communities to help pool resources.”

In 2019, Vander Veen spearheaded a group that brought together three Wisconsin fire departments from Darien, Walworth and Sharon. None of them were big enough to staff an ambulance full time on their own, so they joined together to create an intergovernmental agreement for a shared services medic program.

SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION

Darien, Walworth and Sharon each maintain individual firefighting teams for their communities, but through their intergovernmental agreement, they now have an ambulance that’s staffed around the clock. The rig floats between the three towns throughout the day, responding to calls — and when additional assistance is needed, local volunteers are called in for backup. This relieves the load on volunteers, giving them more time for their jobs, like farming.

“Farming works well with volunteer firefighting because, although we’re busy, we’re usually available around the clock,” Vander Veen said. “We also have the experience of working on our feet and solving problems as they arise.”

Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America® introduced a grant in 2022 to help local rescue departments fill in gaps when it comes to specialized equipment for responding to emergencies. Through the Emergency Response Equipment Collaboration Grant Program, local agencies can collaborate together to seek funding for specialized equipment — things like hydraulic extrication tools, chest compression systems, oxygen tank refill equipment and more. Many

times, these things are difficult for local departments to purchase separately. But working together and sharing the equipment with neighboring towns have even stronger benefits for rural communities.

LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT

Londa Lauber, Vander Veen’s financial officer at Compeer Financial, immediately thought of her client when she heard about the new grant. Vander Veen applied, and the departments received funding for a battery-operated extrication tool.

“I just thought, ‘Boy, this is perfect for us,’” Vander Veen said. “Between our communities, we have five state and U.S. highways, and unfortunately we see a lot of car accidents. Our ambulance, which is usually on the scene before our volunteers, didn’t have the set of tools needed for extrication and often had to wait for volunteers to set up cumbersome Jaws of Life equipment.”

Now, when every second is critical, the emergency response team saves precious time because they’re able to respond with greater speed and agility. In the first three months with the new equipment, rescuers have already used it twice.

Fifteen collaborative rescue groups received equipment grants in 2022 across Compeer’s territory in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“We know rural departments often share resources and important pieces of life-saving equipment,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer. “The spirit of collaboration is strong for emergency departments in rural America, and we hope these grants can help impact even more lives. First responders give so much when people are in need, and these tools and resources will help in critical situations.”

The next application window for this grant program is Aug. 1-31, 2023. Learn more at compeer.com/giving-back

Opposite page: Volunteer firefighters Bruce Vander Veen and Bob Williams show the new extrication tool that’s shared between Darien, Walworth and Sharon fire departments.

Top left: Compeer’s new grant program provides funding for emergency response agencies that are collaborating together to purchase equipment. Top right: In the first three months of having the new battery-operated extrication tool, rescuers have already used it twice. Bottom: Fire departments in Darien, Walworth and Sharon are collaborating together to staff an around-the-clock ambulance for their communities.

Growing in GREEN SPACE

New development event offers insights into ag

CHICAGO — Turning green space — or any available space — into food production is an agricultural art.

“There is a lot of untapped potential in cities and urban gardening scenes,” said Amanda Anderson, urban agriculture program manager for the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago. “It doesn’t matter where you are from — everyone has access to land that is not conventionally thought of as space you can grow food.”

And that’s just what competitors had to figure out at the first ever Illinois Career Development Event (CDE) in Urban Agriculture and Food Production last spring. As part of the competition, the students had to create a plan for growing food in unique spaces.

Luke Allen, a program advisor for Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education — part of the Illinois State Board of Education — created the competition so students could showcase their talents and knowledge of plant-based food production.

“The goal is to inspire students to think about how they can use the resources in their community to grow food,” Allen said. “This contest shows how you can turn a hobby garden into a thriving business.”

CDEs are competitive events, typically done in conjunction with FFA, that push competitors to develop college and career readiness. CDEs can range in subject matter from public speaking to livestock evaluation and everything in between.

Allen said he saw a void in the state agriculture curriculum and FFA contest offerings — no events were focused on plantbased food production and team collaboration.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN ACTION

The Gary Comer Youth Center hosted the 2022 event on its campus. Anderson said the competition brought the lessons of her classes full circle for the students who competed.

“Our students were able to showcase the skills they learned while working on our farm,” Anderson said. “They saw the skills they have can translate into a legitimate agriculture career, right in their own communities.”

The invitational event gathered 18 teams comprised of 65 students to compete. Prior to the event, students completed a written test. Then, they worked in teams on various practical skill sets, including presenting an urban agriculture business plan and a presentation on food handling.

Students were also challenged to look at six growing locations and create plans for food production in those spaces.

Anderson said the challenge of creating a business plan as a group and then pitching it to others had her students thinking outside of the box, learning the skills of collaboration and public speaking.

UNCONVENTIONAL INSPIRATION

Allen hopes the contest inspires students to look for the potential to grow food in different ways and address community food access and insecurity concerns. Anderson said the school, based on Chicago’s South Side, produces 17,000 pounds of food a year utilizing 1.75 acres and a rooftop garden.

“Most schools have acres of grass on their campuses that could be sites for food production,” Allen said. “This is more than just

ABOUT THE ILLINOIS URBAN AGRICULTURE & FOOD PRODUCTION CAREER DEVELOPMENT EVENT

• 18 teams, 65 students participated in spring 2022

• Test knowledge about growing food

• Skills displayed:

-written test

-plant identification

-environmental site selection practicum

-food product packaging activity

-evaluation of food products

-“urban agriculture business plan” group presentation

urban areas — it’s looking at what’s around you and understanding which plants would grow there.”

Allen collaborated with other agriculture education leaders across the nation on the contest, and he said he believes it’s the first of its kind in the nation. The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America supported the event with a one-time gift in 2022 and is supporting it again in 2023.

“With some creativity and knowledge, the unconventional can become conventional,” Allen noted. “That’s what we are trying to highlight with our students.”

Opposite page top: Students compete in the first Urban Agriculture and Food Production Career Development Event, pitching a business plan focusing on growing, selling and finances. Bottom left: Students work on plant identification for the contest. Bottom right: Students review the different options for planting an urban farm at Gary Comer Youth Center.

Above left: Using skills they learned, students complete an evaluation of food products, determining which appearances and qualities are good for consumer sales. Above right: Students create a poster to inform employees on proper food packaging and handling procedures.

Photos courtesy of Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education and Gary Comer Youth Center.

The Next Generation Showcases SKILLS & EXPERTISE

4-H youth across the state of Minnesota are talking turkey. And llamas. And pretty much every farm animal in between. It’s all part of the Regional and State Project Bowl, a long-standing Minnesota 4-H Youth Development program where teams of three to six young people build skills working and thinking together while testing their knowledge of dairy, dogs, general livestock, horses, llamas/alpacas, poultry or rabbits.

Maddie Eaton, senior communications specialist at the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, is an alum of the program and currently serves as a volunteer.

“Project Bowl was a really impactful experience for me,” Eaton said. “I learned so many practical things that transfer to real life, like persistence, commitment, learning to operate under pressure and working within a team.”

PROJECT BOWL LEGACY

Helping youth build skills that translate into just about anything they’d want to do as an adult is what 4-H is all about: Project Bowl in Minnesota is just one way the organization brings its objectives to life. From ag advocacy to livestock programs to leadership, conservation, food insecurity issues and more, 4-H participants are profoundly impacting people across Compeer Financial’s territory.

4-H’s tradition, successes and impact on youth all align perfectly with Compeer’s mission of enhancing agriculture and rural America. That’s why, over the years, Compeer has contributed more than $550,000 to 4-H programs in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin through annual support, grants and donations to local clubs.

According to Minnesota 4-H State Director Dr. Jennifer Skuza, “Compeer’s longstanding partnership with Minnesota 4-H Youth Development has played an influential role in our ability to offer a wide breadth of agricultural programming to youth across the state.”

HEAD, HEART, HANDS, HEALTH

In 2022, nearly 67,500 4-H’ers across Compeer’s territory were impacted from the support of the Fund for Rural America. According to Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer, the opportunity to partner with 4-H has been amazing.

“4-H is a critical partner for reaching youth and helping them develop a variety of skills that make them the future leaders, influencers and agriculturalists in rural America,” Schieler said. “Oftentimes, 4-H is the first organization to influence young people and set them on a path to make a difference in our community.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PARTNERSHIPS

From 2018 to 2022, Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America® has supported 4-H organizations with more than $556,500. Gifts have included:

• Annual Support for 4-H Foundations in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Impacts include:

– Agriculture Exploration and Education

– Leadership and Public Speaking

– Food Insecurity and Community Service

– Environment, Conservation and Natural Resources

• MORE for Agriculture Grants to support:

– Re-energizing of the YELLO (Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Opportunities) Program in Minnesota

– Development of Animal Science Curriculum: Animal Science Academy in Wisconsin

– Creation of Food Action Academy focused on the food system in Illinois

• Support for local 4-H clubs and members by supporting projects and fairs.

• Compeer team members have contributed their time and talents across Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin as leaders, mentors, volunteers and parents of 4-H members.

• In 2022, more than 67,500 4-H members were impacted through Fund for Rural America giving.

Left: 4-H members in Minnesota participate in Project Bowl, a development program to build skills, teamwork and a solid working knowledge of a wide variety of farm animals.

Right: Compeer Financial is proud to support 4-H programs, like Project Bowl, across our territory, impacting nearly 67,500 4-H’ers in 2022.

INNOVATION IN ACTION

JANESVILLE, Wis. — Picture yourself in a barn stall, syringe in hand, trying to medicate an ill 1,200-pound steer. Now imagine that you have zero experience with livestock or farming. It’s a situation more and more technical college students have experienced in recent years: working in close proximity to large, stressed and unpredictable animals with only textbook or secondhand experiences for reference.

Dusty Williams, an agriculture instructor at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, Wis., says intimidating and overwhelming don’t even scratch the surface of what that feels like.

“If you can, imagine somebody handing you a needle for the first time ever,” Williams said, “and asking you to give an injection into a steer. That’s a pretty scary thing.”

That’s the reason, thanks to a grant from Compeer Financial, Williams invested in a livestock injection simulator and a cowbirthing simulator for the school’s agriculture education program.

WORKFORCE SHIFT

More and more students are entering the program without hands-on farm or agriculture experience. “There are fewer farms and there are less people working on farms or starting to farm because it's so capital intensive,” Williams said.

It’s no secret the workforce in the agriculture industry is changing as well. In the past, agribusinesses, large and small, traditionally hired retired farmers and “farm kids.” Williams said that began shifting about 10 to 12 years ago, making it very tough for companies to find employees who have an actual farm background.

“So it's really important for us to give our students as much hands-on experience as we possibly can,” he explained.

As a former educator, Lisa Hurda, Blackhawk Technical College’s director of College Advancement and Foundation, agreed. “This grant from Compeer enabled us to purchase hands-on applications for our inexperienced students. So much instruction

Below: Students at Blackhawk Technical College demonstrate the ultrasound simulator for Compeer team members.

is textbook-oriented, so for these students to have experience with some of the equipment before they actually go out into the field, is tremendously innovative and impactful,” Hurda said. “The light bulbs go on a little bit quicker, even if they’ve never set foot on a farm.”

INNOVATIVE RESOURCES

In addition to the simulators used in the classroom, which allow students to “get their hands dirty without getting their hands dirty,” funding from Compeer also provided the program with a “Flex Farm,” a portable, multi-level structure for growing crops.

Williams explained: “It can be put in a closet. It can be put in a shop. It doesn’t need light because it’s self-sustaining.”

What’s more, the students will try to grow some herbs to supply to the college’s culinary program. “Herbs are very expensive, so campus-grown ingredients will bring some sustainability to the program,” Williams noted.

Below top: Students, faculty and staff at Blackhawk Technical College accept a grant of $25,000 from Compeer Financial’s Agriculture and Rural Initiative. Bottom left: Compeer’s Gary Punzel tests out a spraying simulator as instructor Dusty Williams looks on. Bottom right: Compeer’s Karen Schieler presents to students about the importance of developing agriculture’s workforce.

Another integral piece of the Compeer grant was funding for a professional recruitment and awareness video. “The video is pivotal,” Hurda said. “It helps students who may not have considered a career in agriculture to get interested in pursuing our ag education program. It’s a pretty cool production.”

Hurda added that the college is grateful to Compeer Financial. “Our educational model, and how we teach, is changing. We’re more innovative and experiential than ever before.”

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL INITIATIVE

In 2022, the Agriculture and Rural Initiative, Compeer Financial’s donor-advised fund, granted $600,000 to 11 community and technical colleges across Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Compeer committed $1.9 million total in grants and scholarships at select colleges through 2025 with the goal of further developing agriculture’s workforce. Throughout the entire program, 30 college partners will receive grants and two $1,250 scholarships annually.

Photos courtesy of Blackhawk Technical College.

2023-2024 GRANT TIMELINE

For detailed information, deadlines and applications on each of these programs*, visit compeer.com/giving-back

August: Emergency Response Equipment and Regional Collaboration Grants

November: General Use Grant

January: High School Senior Scholarship Program (Due in March)

February: Farmers Market: Organization and Vendor Grants

March: County Fair Facility Upgrade Grant

April: Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant

May: General Use Grant

Ongoing:

Beginning with Compeer Financial Grant

Community Building Grant

Rural Feasibility Study Grant

Transition Planning Grant

*Each grant program is subject to change.

2023 FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA ® BOARD OF TRUSTEES

John Monson, Chair

Board of Director Members

Mark Cade

Dan Erickson

Dale Holmgren

Dave Peters

Kim Wedig

Stephanie Wise

Team Members

Jacob Chapman

Mary Daun

Jessica Fleming

Karen Johnson

Ben Larson

Jenny Layton

Compeer Financial Corporate Giving Team

Melanie Olson

Karen Schieler

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative that provides financial services, resources and expertise to champion the hopes and dreams of agriculture and rural America.