Country Minute - Fall 2012

Fall 2012 News and notes on living the good life...

CountryMinute

getting the most out of your benefits– Doing business with GreenStone has many benefits! Of course, taking advantage of products with competitively priced interest rates and flexible terms is what attracts many of our customers, but that is just the start.

As a cooperative, GreenStone‘s approach to lending and doing business is different from traditional banks. The more members that do business with the cooperative, the more strength we have as a lender. We know you enjoy all of the benefits GreenStone offers (including

member discounts at some national retailers, but we’ll get to that in a minute), so why not share those great benefits with others?

GreenStone’s Pass-It-On Customer Referral Program rewards members who refer new customers to the cooperative.* For each new qualified customer referred to GreenStone, you will receive a $50 gift card to places like Tractor Supply Co. or Mills Fleet Farm. In addition, the customer you referred will help to strengthen the overall position of

our cooperative and enjoy all of the benefits that GreenStone offers. It’s a true win-win situation for everyone.

What’s more, customers who finance a home site, vacant land, recreational land or rural home with GreenStone are eligible to participate in the cooperative’s patronage program.

In addition to Pass-It-On, GreenStone members are also eligible for several discounts at Continued on page 2...

This Country Minute is brought to you by your local country living lender:

Fresh Trick-or-Treat Trends The school year started not too long ago, and with it many parents challenged themselves to find healthier lunch and snack options for their youngsters. Now comes the traditional celebration of costumes and candy, called Halloween. So how do you stay true to your challenge and keep the kids happy? Here are a few options, both for the daytime party and the evening trick-or-treaters.

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Continued on page 3... * Existing customers will receive one $50 gift card only when a prospective customer establishes a new business relationship with GreenStone Farm Credit Services. Referrals for residential mortgages on less than 25 acres are excluded by law. GreenStone reserves the right to make case-by-case decisions on the distribution of gift cards for referrals. One $50 gift card for existing customers per new customer referred, regardless of the number of new products used. Program effective January 1, 2012 and is subject to change.

Skate Into Fun...

Fall is in the air; the leaves on the trees are turning colors and winter is on its way. Once the temperature drops and the snow starts falling, ice skating makes a great winter activity. All you need is a pair of skates and ice.

If you do not have access to a public skating area, you can easily build an ice rink in your backyard. For the best results, the temperature should be consistently below 32 degrees and there should be adequate snow on the ground. To plan for the rink, measure your backyard and determine the best area to install it. Avoid areas with too much slope and pick a spot with a surface that is as flat as possible. Next,

build a frame with boards that are four to six inches high. The frame will sit on the ground. If the ground has a severe slope then adjust the height of the boards on the low side to compensate for the slope. If you plan to play hockey on the rink, you may want to make the boards 10 to 12 inches high to keep the puck from flying out of the rink.

To make the ice, pack snow inside the frame, flood the snow surface with

...Benefits continued

national retailers through our status as an association in the Farm Credit System.

From flowers and car rentals, to monthly wireless service, discounts are available on a wide range of goods and services and you are eligible all because you do business with GreenStone! Some of the discounts currently featured include*: • 15 percent off your order at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM • Up to 30 percent off Dell Computers • 12 percent off monthly service charges at Sprint • Up to 60 percent off at Omaha Steaks For more information on the Pass-It-On program or any of the great customer benefits offered by GreenStone, contact your financial services officer or visit us online at www.greenstonefcs.com/memberbenefits.

water and allow it to freeze. Pack the snow as hard as possible by stepping on it over and over. You can also pack it by placing plywood boards on the unpacked snow and stepping on them. The more the snow is packed, the tighter it gets and the easier it will be to freeze your surface.

A second option for the base of the ice rink is to buy a roll of clear or white plastic that is five or six millimeters thick to act as a liner. It should be large enough to cover the rink surface and overlap the frame. Spread the plastic out over the rink and use a staple gun to staple the plastic to the outside of your frame. You could also clamp it with heavy duty clamps to hold it in place and then flood the liner with water from your garden hose.

Always fill the rink with enough water to make two to three inches of ice.

Resurface the ice as needed with a light sprinkling of water. To keep the water hose from freezing, take it into your basement or in a heated garage between uses.

Source: www.mybackyardicerink.com

* Discounts are subject to change. Visit the member benefits page on GreenStone’s website for the most current discounts.

LEAF BENEFITS With autumn now in full swing, the inherent question is: “What to do with the blanket of leaves in your yard?” You might be thinking about bagging and sending your leaves to the landfill or perhaps gathering and burning them on the side of the road. But before choosing either of these options, consider the alternative ways to utilize this organic gift.

Mulching is a fast and easy way to minimize leaf coverage and feed your lawn. While whole leaves can smother grass, mulched leaves allow turf to breathe while providing rich nutrients to the soil.

To mulch, just remove the grass catcher from your lawn mower and mow over your leaves. It is best to mow every four or five days or as excess leaves fall.

If you prefer to extend the summer’s “leafless look”, consider creating a compost pile. When mixed with other organic materials such as grass clippings and food scraps, leaves turn into a nutrient source for your potted plants and flowerbeds. To create a compost pile, start by raking or blowing the leaves into a designated area. Then combine your leaves in a bin or tumbler with additional organic material. For best results, shred your leaves and remember to turn the pile often.

If you do not have the time to create and monitor a compost pile, many cities have designated areas where residents can drop off their leaves to be composted. When the compost is ready, residents can often purchase or obtain the material free of charge. If this sounds like something you want to pursue, contact your city hall to see if it offers a similar program.

Although you might have treated your leaves like trash in the past, consider turning your organic gift into treasure this season by mulching or composting.

Recipe Corner Oven Beef Jerky Ingredients 1/4 C. Soy Sauce 3 tbsp. Brown Sugar Combine ingredients in a sealable plastic bag (amount of spice is dependent on your preference), add meat. Refrigerate for 12 hours, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 175°F. Pat meat dry and place on wire cooking rack, ensuring strips do not touch. Bake 4-5 hours until meat is dry, but not brittle. Remove, cool and enjoy!

3 Cloves Pressed Garlic 2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce 1 tbsp. Liquid Smoke 2 tsp. Minced Onion 1 or 2 tsp. Red Pepper 1 or 2 tsp. Chili Powder 1 tsp. Kosher Salt 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper 2 lbs. Beef Cut in ¼ in. Strips

...Trick-or-Treat Trends continued

Party Snacks:

Trick-or-Treating Alternatives:

Create a healthy snack your kids will be excited to share.

Leave the candy to the neighbors and offer options like these to your trick-or-treaters.

• Fruit Smiles: Slice red apples into eighths or twelfths and dip in lemon juice to keep from turning brown. Spread peanut butter on one side of each slice. Place five miniature marshmallows on the peanut butter of one slice and then layer another apple slice, peanut butter side down, on top.

(To avoid issues with peanut allergies, use frosting or a thick fruit dip in place of the peanut butter).

• Spider Nibbles: Unwrap and remove the wax from mini cheese circles. Use eight pretzel sticks and insert into the bottom/side of the cheese (four on each side) to create spider legs. Add two raisins or mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Source: family.com

• Snack Treats: raisins, pretzels, microwave popcorn • Non-Food Favorites: temporary tattoos, stickers, play dough • School Supplies: pencils, rulers, erasers, crayons • Toys: Yo-yo’s, bubbles, bouncy balls, whistle

CountryMinute Inside this issue: - Member benefits - Trick-or-treat trends - Build your own ice rink

- Leaf disposal - Oven beef jerky - Member notes

Greenstone member notes Customers who receive the Country Minute do not receive GreenStone’s agricultural member publication, Partners.

Therefore, the following is a snippet of news and feature stories found in the most recent issue of Partners. More information and complete articles can be viewed at www.

GreenStoneFCS.com by selecting “Publications” found under the “News and Media” drop down.

Record Breaking Satisfaction Thanks to our customers and staff, GreenStone has earned a record 97 percent customer satisfaction rating. “We put a tremendous amount of time and effort into getting to know each of our customers and providing them with lending and financial services options tailored to their individual needs. As a result, we have consistently experienced superior ratings since we began the customer satisfaction survey in 2000,” said President and CEO, Dave Armstrong.

Buck Pole ContestsEnter Your Deer!

It’s fall, and that means deer hunting season is upon us.

Take advantage of one of these GreenStone sponsored buck poles to show off your success: Q1 Buck Pole in Michigan and GreenStone’s Big Buck Contest in northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula!

Elected DirectorsFour Fresh Perspectives GreenStone’s four newly elected board members share why they became a board member candidate and offer a glimpse into their first few months on the board, and what has surprised them most.

Scholarships Awarded School is back in session and GreenStone has awarded several incoming freshmen at

www.greenstonefcs.com

Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin with a $2,000 scholarship.

Employee Food Drive We are committed to getting involved within the communities in which we serve and combating hunger is a priority. That’s why GreenStone is coordinating an employee fundraiser and food drive.

Join our drive, visit Michigan Harvest Gathering at http://bit. ly/S7aq9M or Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin at http:// www.feedingamericawi.org/.

Have something to share?

Submit your “Candid Comment” to marketing@

greenstonefcs.com.