2023 Cooperative Stewardship Report

SERVING WITH

SERVING WITH

CONTENTS

3 | Environment and Sustainability

4 | Young, Beginning, and Small Farmers

5 | Diversity in Agriculture

6 | Strengthening Communities

7 | Agriculture Education & Leadership

Since its inception in 1916, the Farm Credit System’s focus has been on doing what’s best for agriculture — the industry, its people, and the communities they impact. As our world and society have evolved over the past century, Farm Credit has as well, with our mission to provide rural communities and agriculture with reliable and consistent credit remaining at the forefront of everything we do.

Horizon Farm Credit is proud of the culture of service we’ve created across the 100 counties in our footprint to not only fulfill our mission, but ensure we are being strong advocates of those we serve and proactively supporting the future of agriculture. As a testament to that culture, this past year, our Association — combined with the Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement — invested more than $800,000 directly into our local communities.

Our commitment to playing an active role in creating a strong and viable foundation for the future of our industry is unwavering.

The investments we make each year go towards several facets that make agriculture the unique industry it is today: environmental and sustainability; young, beginning, and small farmers; diversity; community support; and education and leadership. Our Association is committed to being good stewards of all we serve – our people, our members, and our land – and doing so with the highest level of integrity.

No one holds us to a higher standard than ourselves.

Reflecting back on our efforts throughout 2023, we’ve been fortunate to partner with many of our fellow ag industry representatives to make a difference in the lives of agriculturalists, whether they are actively farming or dreaming of their future operation. In addition, our employees have donated hundreds of dollars and hours of their own time to give back to organizations that matter most to them and their loved ones. This report highlights these investments and others our Association made last year, all in our effort to make positive impacts for the future.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, thank you for choosing Farm Credit. We look forward to serving you and our local communities for years to come.

Tom Truitt Chief Executive Officer Horizon Farm Credit

ENVIRONMENT AND

“A healthy environment and thriving agricultural economy go hand-in-hand. We are committed to investing in programs that provide voluntary, incentive-based tools for conservation, foster the development of innovative best management practices, and approach conservation in a collaborative manner.”

• Sponsored the Leopold Conservation Award in Maryland & Pennsylvania

• Partnered with the University of Delaware Extension to promote conservation efforts across the Delmarva peninsula

• Sponsored the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts Conference and the outstanding Conservation District award

• Sponsor of PA Land Conservation and Forever Maryland Conferences

• Supported programming for PA No-Till Alliance, DE Center for the Inland Bays, the Delmarva Land & Litter Collaborative, and the MidAtlantic 4R Alliance

• Supported the Pasa Sustainable Agriculture and Future Harvest programs

• Sponsored various state and county agronomy meetings across our 100 county footprint

• Supported state-wide best management practice (BMP) loan programs

YOUNG, BEGINNING, AND SMALL

“The future of agriculture depends on the success of young, beginning, and small producers. We’re committed to supporting the financial and business development needs of these farmers, for the growth of our industry, today and tomorrow.”

$250,000 |

AWARDED TO FARMERS through the Farmers on the Rise and JumpStart programs

• Supported state Farm Bureau Young Farmers’ programs across our Association’s footprint

• Provided 27 financial education presentations, reaching a total of 724 farmers

• Hosted Ag Biz Masters program for 148 registered participants

• Provided reimbursement for 42 Ag Biz Masters registrants, as a result of their successful completion of the two-year program, which totaled $9,550

IN AGRICULTURE

“With diversity comes strength. We’re committed to a diverse agricultural industry and are proud to support inclusivity with regard to gender, ethnicity, veteran status, ability differences, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. We are always eager to engage, build relationships with, and cultivate talent among people of all backgrounds.”

• Supported the University of Maryland Extension Urban Ag program

• Sponsored local MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) and Junior MANRRS efforts, promoting advancement for minorities in agriculture

• Supported the LEAF (Leadership, Education and Farming) Project, which helps to develop youth leaders from diverse backgrounds through meaningful work in the food system

• Sponsored the Maryland International Ag Conference, which highlighted agriucltural connections and opportunities between El Salvador and Maryland

• Provided support to the W.B. Saul Alumni Foundation supporting the City of Philadelphia’s agricultural magnet school

• Provided curriculum and programmatic support to the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition

• Supported MidAtlantic Women in Ag Conference

• Supported programming and promotion of the PA Veteran Farming Network, the state’s leading non-profit organization supporting military veterans and their spouses in building strong, healthy farms and agribusinesses

• The Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement provided $10,000 towards scholarships with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, which is an HBCU

• Funding for materials and curriculum development for Edible Classrooms serving urban school districts in Lancaster County, PA

• Funding provided for the purchase and disbursement of, “Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journey of Black Professionals in Green Careers”, jointly created by The Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Project Learning tree, and MANRRS

STRENGTHENING

“We demonstrate our commitment to the strength and resiliency of the communities that our employees and members call home by investing in programs that reduce food insecurity and enhance access to nutrition, as well as those that bolster critical community services, and provide response and relief in times of crisis or natural disaster.”

$200,750 |

DONATED TO LOCAL FOODBANKS ACROSS OUR FIVE-STATE FOOTPRINT

• Funded Grain Bin Rescue Tubes & Training through a partnership with Nationwide Insurance

• Sponsored Virginia Governor’s Summit on Rural Prosperity

• Contributed to Florida Farm Bureau for Hurricane Idalia Disaster Relief

• Contributed to the Clinic for Special Children, which serves children and adults who suffer from genetic and other complex medical disorders

• Supported programming with the Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association

• Contributed to the printing and distribution of farm safety books directed to the plain communities within our footprint

HEALTH & WELLNESS

• Supported mental health programs and resources in agriculture

• Farm Credit’s Member Assistance Program provides members with access to free, anonymous benefits like counseling, legal services, identity theft recovery, and more.

AGRICULTURE EDUCATION AND

“We are committed to investing in the future of agriculture, educating consumers, and developing leaders within and for our Industry.”

Through the Foundation, 23 students were awarded a total of $192,500 through the 2023 scholarship program:

Kelly Bliss of Huntingdon, PA

Grace Bomgardner of Jonestown, PA

Kaitlyn Bradley of Vienna, MD

Jaclyn Bryant of Frederick, MD

Maci Carter of Harrington, DE

Rianna Chaney of Keymar, MD

Cahlen Cheatham of Myersville, MD

Andrea Clark of Newport, PA

Kaitlyn Collins of Clayton, DE

Jadon Cook of Cordova, MD

Sam Curley of Mt. Airy, MD

Peyton Dugan of Shepherdstown, WV

Natalie Hummell of Macungie, PA

Sarah Lasko of Conneaut Lake, PA

Victoria LeCates of Seaford, DE

Cade Martin of Chambersburg, PA

Sydney Messick of Harrington, DE

Caleb Miller of Marietta, PA

Anya Phillips of Ellendale, DE

Paige Rohrbach of Fleetwood, PA

Adria Russell of Alexandria, PA

Erica Teagarden of Claysville, PA

Arilyn Tegtmeier-Oatman of Holtwood, PA

Another $40,000 was provided directly to schools and universities for agriculture scholarships.

The Foundation’s Community Education Grants:

• Brought ag to classrooms across our footprint through support of mobile ag labs in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania - $30,000

• Supported state FFA and 4-H programs - $30,000

• Provided funding for a variety of ag education projects, including the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum, Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, Delaware Agriculture Museum and Village, and more - $44,500

Horizon Farm Credit:

• Supported 4-H and FFA across the Horizon Farm Credit footprint with investments totaling $52,800

• Invested in Ag Leadership programs, including LEAD Maryland, LEADelaware, PA RULE (PA Rural-Urban Leadership), VALOR (Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results) and Nuffield USA with donations totaling $45,000

• Supported ag programs at both the elementary and secondary levels and contributed to Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation

• Sponsored The Calving Corner at the Pennsylvania Farm Show to educate consumers

• Supported educational programs and resources for dairy farmers through Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation - $25,000

• Sponsorship of Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore (MD), the country’s only Junior Achievement BizTown located in a rural community