Directors’ PerspectiveWinter 2019
Being a member of GreenStone can mean something different to each individual, including your Board Directors. Using the word signs introduced during Patronage Day, these three directors continue to share their personal perspective on what is important to them and why they believe GreenStone is the cooperative to help them accomplish it! Terri Hawbaker: Next Generation
Laura Braun: Growing
We farmers know how to grow things. It’s what we do and we do it well. The year 2018 marked our 25th anniversary as Farm Credit members. It’s amazing to see how we’ve grown over those 25 years. Starting out with a few feeder cattle and some hand-me-down equipment as well as a wing and a prayer, we brought our big family to a little farm in Ovid Township and started to make it grow. It’s been a terrific journey and one that Farm Credit has shared with us all along the way. We’ve also grown a strong relationship with our partners at GreenStone. It is hard to imagine what the next 25 years will bring, but I’m certain that we will continue to grow. We have exciting plans for our future and the relationships we’ve built with Farm Credit will continue to help us along the way.
To me, GreenStone means being able to give the next generation a chance – an opportunity to have a future within agriculture. GreenStone’s history with the Farm Credit System gives our community consistency and stability when it comes to agricultural lending. Their understanding of agriculture is as deeply rooted as many of the multi-generational farms that they serve. I believe this helps the association to serve each and every customer appropriately, not just for the short term, but for the long term and the future farmers that are up and coming. They realize they are not just investing into the current operation, but potentially a future operation that will use cutting edge technology and take agriculture into the future, a future more than we can fathom. GreenStone wants to be a part of supporting the greatness that comes with the next generation. As a dairy farmer and mother of five children, I appreciate all the avenues in which GreenStone invests in our youth. From simple things like providing table service at dinners, to purchases at the local county fairs, college scholarships and internship opportunities. GreenStone is all in when it comes to helping our youth grow, learn, and achieve their goals. Bruce Lewis: Growing
From a young farmer getting a start in agriculture, to buying their first parcel of land or financing inputs for their first harvest, GreenStone is there to help them grow. For someone mid-career expanding their operation or moving into new enterprises, GreenStone is there to help them grow. For someone nearing the end of their career, utilizing tax management or changing coverages on crop insurance, GreenStone is there to help them grow. I am sure every member of our cooperative would have many examples of ways that GreenStone has helped them grow…these are just a few I see as key to our partnership with GreenStone. ■
Partners — Winter 2019
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