Director’s Perspective :
What's Changed? Peter Maxell
Jed Welder
The past year and a half has certainly shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of our modern society. Throughout the entire pandemic I have been amazed how business has still functioned in such a strange time in our lives. I often wonder how our economies would have functioned if this were to happen ten, twenty or even thirty years ago. With the continual advances of technology, how would this have gone even five years ago? I have seen many changes within GreenStone’s adaptation of technology in my relatively short six-year tenure as a director. I recall asking about mobile banking when I first became a board member and receiving the response, “it’s coming!” A few years ago, I felt compelled to get my GreenStone My Access account set up. I found it easy to use and a clean platform to check balances and look up any account information within my own timeline. Then, in the fall of 2019, GreenStone released its new version of the mobile banking platform. I recall I couldn’t wait for the update after hearing about all the improvements from GreenStone’s information services team. Fast forward to March 2020, and suddenly
25
Summer 2021 — Partners
we weren’t sure which way was up, but our daily farm operations kept on fully functioning. At this point today, I am thankfully well versed with tools like My Access, mobile banking, and DocuSign which helped limit the impact on my farm. Mobile banking allowed me to transfer funds and make deposits by simply snapping a photo in the app and instantly, securely depositing the check funds into my Farm Cash Management account (with significantly higher mobile deposit limits compared to my local bank). Logging in is a snap with facial recognition on my phone and all of my accounts are at my fingertips. The decline in interest rates also allowed me to refinance several loans through a simple interest rate conversion with the help of my financial services officer, Kim Knoerr. We were able to easily and quickly complete the transactions remotely utilizing DocuSign in a very simple, efficient manner. The best part of every one of these tools is they are all completed in a secure environment. The time savings and efficiencies are paramount to my operation and allow me more time with my family. So now whenever someone asks me if I use online and mobile banking, my immediate response is, “Absolutely. You should do it, too!”
The best interactions I’ve had with GreenStone team members have been face to face on my farm or at project sites. Of course our digital platforms allow us to take care of bills and paperwork without going to a physical office and we should applaud our information security teams' efforts. As a relationship based partner, our great organization cannot survive on technology and virtual tools alone. I am proud of the financial services officers and crop insurance specialists who continue to prioritize the personal, onsite interactions with our members. In west Michigan, farmers have limited access to rural broadband and online tools for various reasons. The traditional models of looking someone in the eye as you do business are still necessary along with the convenience of online tools for those who benefit from them.
