Never Stop Learning

Leader Farm Credit

Never stop learning.

volume 18 | issue 1 | $3.95

Financing Rural America for More Than 95 Years

in this issue

Leader

farm | land

4 Drag racer, beauty

volume 18 | issue 1

queen, business woman, Shelby Hurley does it all

6 Annie’s Project: Helping

MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA J. Robert Frazee, CEO

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women in agriculture build skills and connections

Fred N. West Chairman

7 FFA/4-H Video Contest

M. Wayne Lambertson Vice Chairman

Announcement

8 AgBiz Masters gets young and beginning farmers plowing forward

your association

10 Live, Laugh, Farm

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Annual Meeting Information

11 Crop Insurance from

Delmarva to MidMaryland and from Valley to Penn Regions

community

12 Properties for sale

MidAtlantic Farm Credit Board of Directors

Paul D. Baumgardner Deborah A. Benner Brian L. Boyd Gary L. Grossnickle Dale R. Hershey Walter C. Hopkins T. Jeffery Jennings Christopher Kurtzman Fred R. Moore, Jr. Dale J. Ockels Jennifer L. Rhodes Ralph L. Robertson, Jr. Paul J. Rock Lingan T. Spicer Christopher R. Stiles

Questions or Ideas

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If you have any questions or ideas for the editorial staff of the Leader, contact Donna Dawson at 800.333.7950, e-mail her at ddawson@mafc.com or write her at MidAtlantic Farm Credit, 680 Robert Fulton Highway, Quarryville, PA 17566. This publication is for you, our reader. We’d love to hear from you!

The Leader is published quarterly for stockholders, friends and business associates.

If you wish to no longer receive this publication, please email: unsubscribe@mafc.com and by putting “Unsubscribe Leader” in the subject.

10 facebook.com/midatlanticfarmcredit

twitter.com/midatfarmcredit

2

midatlanticfarmcredit.blogspot.com

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The Farm Credit Administration does not require the association to distribute its quarterly financial reports to shareholders. However, copies of its complete report are available upon request or see quarterly updates online at mafc.com. The shareholders’ investment in the association is materially affected by the financial condition and results of operations of AgFirst Farm Credit Bank and copies of its quarterly financial report are available upon request by writing: Susanne Caughman, AgFirst Farm Credit Bank P.O. Box 1499, Columbia, SC 29202-1499 Address changes, questions or requests for the association’s quarterly financial report should be directed to: MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA by calling 800.333.7950 or writing: MidAtlantic Farm Credit 45 Aileron Court, Westminster MD 21157

events | deadlines

message from the president

Never Stop

learning

I’ve often heard that you should learn something new every day. As quickly as our world is changing, it seems like learning one thing most days isn’t enough!

That’s why I so admire the folks featured in this issue. They all have made a commitment to learning, and improving themselves and their businesses.

Our first feature is Shelby Hurley. You may recognize Shelby’s name, as she was thing to do), and found that she continues to grow and learn. She’s writing nutrient

FEB event

management plans, and working at the soil conservation office in Wicomico County.

21-24 PA Horse World Expo

Harrisburg PA

She’s also working at her family’s produce stand, participating in the Miss Maryland

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Frederick MD

Agriculture contest, racing cars…and completing her junior year at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Just reading her article made me want to jump up and do something—her energy and enthusiasm is that contagious!

Speaking of impressive women in agriculture, you’ll also learn more about

place

MD Dairy Industry Assn. & MD Dairy Shrine Joint Annual Meeting & Junior Dairy Contest

25-26 Regional Women in Ag Conference

Dover, DE

Annie’s Project, a learning program created to help farm women build their

MAR event

businesses. Our story features two women—Veronica Wyre and Bobbi-Jo Fout— who have used the program to improve their operations. Both women appreciated

1 MD Cattle Industry Annual Convention

not just the new skills they learned, but the wider network that they gained. They

6 Young Farmer Institute

are a great example of learning to use new resources—and that includes leaning

10 Daylight Savings Time Begins

on the skills of your friends.

15 DEADLINE: sales closing for corn, soybeans, AGR lite, etc.

You’ll also read about two programs offered here at MidAtlantic. The first is AgBiz Masters, an online learning program that has helped area farmers learn about strategic business planning, balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow projects. This program allows you to learn at your own pace, online, when you have time (because I know that time is one of the greatest challenges to continual learning!)

The second is our crop insurance program. You might not think about that as an educational program, but you would probably admit that crop insurance can be confusing! We’re very proud of changes that we’ve made to our service in the last year—we’ve increased our territory, now offering crop insurance throughout our association. We’ve added knowledgeable, experienced staff to help you walk through the process. So we hope you’ll call us—we’re here to help!

Finally, if you want to talk to us personally, please come out to one of our stockholder meetings, scheduled this year for the first two weeks of April. You can learn about new programs, meet our scholarship winners, and hear about our financial results. And I can promise it will be great food!

Hope to see you there!

place Hagerstown MD Goochland VA

20 First Day of Spring 21 PennAg Annual Meeting & Spring Banquet

APR event

Harrisburg PA

place

2 Annual Stockholder Meeting

Salisbury MD

3 Annual Stockholder Meeting

Dover DE

4 Annual Stockholder Meeting New Holland PA 6-7 Delaware Horse Expo

Harrington DE

9 Annual Stockholder Meeting Walkersville MD 10 Annual Stockholder Meeting Winchester VA 17 DPI Booster Banquet

Salisbury MD

30 DEADLINE: spring production deadline

MAY event 27 Memorial Day

place MAFC offices closed

volume 18 | issue 1 | mafc.com

an MAFC scholarship winner in 2011. We caught up with her again (not an easy

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The laboratory and greenhouses at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, MD are familiar territory for Shelby, who expects to graduate from college in spring 2014.

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Malinda and Shelby stand with their father’s truck.

Some of the family’s fruits and vegetables travel as far as the Philadelphia Produce Terminal.

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Drag racer, beauty queen, business woman,

Shelby Hurley does it all story and photos by Nancy L. Smith

Despite compelling evidence to the contrary, there is only one Shelby Hurley. But which one is she—the certified nutrient management consultant or the beauty queen? The honor student with multiple scholarships or the farm girl selling fruits and vegetables at her family’s produce stand? Maybe she is the drag racer who was influential in convincing the sport’s governing body to change the rules so she could race her ’55 Chevy. Or is she the part-time employee at the local Natural Resources Conservation Service office? Could she be the savvy money manager who, at 20, owns a red Camaro and a pickup truck purchased with her own money?

Shelby, who lives with her parents Steve and Tina and sister Malinda in Mardela Springs, Maryland, is all that and more. A full-time student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and an honors graduate of Mardela Middle and High School, Shelby’s grades earned her a Richard A. Henson Honors Program scholarship that covers four years of tuition as long as she maintains a 3.3 grade point average.

hard work pays off

Shelby also won a MAFC scholarship in 2011.

“The tuition scholarship doesn’t cover expenses,” she explains, “I used the MAFC scholarship for books, supplies and lab fees,” she said. Previously, Shelby also won the William B. Blank DACA Scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

Shelby works at the Wicomico County Soil Conservation Office. She also scouts fields for a consulting firm where her academic training becomes a real world asset. “I am able to see what’s happening in the field. I look for pests and diseases in grain crops,” she says.

Well into her junior year with a GPA over 3.4, Shelby’s academic focus has shifted. “I started as a plant and soil science major, but I am now majoring in agribusiness, minoring in plant and soil science,” she says.

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The courses are not simply academic for Shelby.

She has been a certified nutrient management consultant since 2011 and has written the nutrient management plans for her father’s 1,800 acre grain farm and her grandfather’s Hebron, Maryland operation. She is preparing a certified nutrient management plan for a local poultry producer.

It’s not all school and work for Shelby. Two years in a row, she was named Miss Wicomico County Farm Bureau. In both years, she represented the county in the Miss Maryland Agriculture contest at the Maryland State Fair. In 2012, she finished as third runner up.

Shelby’s speedy 1955 Chevy BelAir, with its windows frosted on a chilly morning, was her father’s. He bought it while still in high school to participate in car shows and drag races.

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Tina, Malinda, Shelby and Steve Hurley at the family’s farm stand with loan officer Stuart Cooper.

They started with one wagon and now have three. Practically all sales from the produce stand are on the honor system.

While profitable, the stand means a lot of work for the family.

“We put in 6,000 strawberry plants, 3,000 tomato and 5,000 cantaloupe,” says Steve, “We picked more than 4,000 quarts of strawberries this year. For five or six years, Shelby packed 90 percent of the watermelons. This year it was almost 500 bins.

Last year it was almost 700.”

Shelby and Malinda have always been paid a share of the proceeds from the sales which they dutifully save. Shelby purchased a computer with her savings and, when she was 14, a red 2001 Camaro with black racing stripes.

a family love of cars A few years later, Shelby says, “I drove it to school and everybody said, ‘Oh, your parents bought you a car.’ I told them I bought it.” Later, she got an MAFC loan for a pickup truck.

Although her parents had to cosign the loan, it is Shelby’s responsibility. She had to complete the loan documents, including a balance sheet. It is all good experience said Stuart Cooper, the Hurley’s loan officer. “The kids have to know how financial things operate,” he said.

Shelby began drag racing with the Camaro. Steve explains, “It’s my dad’s fault. He had drag raced. His first car was a ’57 Chevy.”

Steve bought a ’55 BelAir while still in high school and started

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Tina used to race a 1968 Corvette. An accident on the track, although it did not injure her, effectively ended her racing career. She’s now a full-time clerk for Wicomico County’s busy criminal/traffic court.

Shelby has won one race at 12.06 seconds for the quarter mile at 109 miles per hour. But winning is not the only objective. “You always learn a lesson if you lose,” she wisely observes. For some time, the National Hot Rod Association had not permitted cars made before 1960 to race in Shelby’s class.

She initiated a letter-writing campaign that resulted in a change in NHRA rules.

Malinda, although she is still a year away from getting her driver’s license, drives a junior dragster over a one-eighth mile course at speeds up to 75 miles per hour.

Steve has been doing auto body work since 1981 and had a body shop on the farm, but has transitioned to farming. He hasn’t lost the touch, though; performing intensive work on the family’s many race cars.

mafc loans help The farm’s 12 acres of fruits and vegetables are primarily the responsibility of Shelby and Malinda. Steve concentrates on the grain acreage. He financed a Magnum tractor with his first MAFC loan and has strong praise for the Salisbury office.

“In 2002, we had a terrible drought. I didn’t know if I could make the payment, but Stuart said, ‘We’ll make it work.’ And everything was fine.”

The future looks equally bright. Steve recently bought a high clearance spin spreader with an MAFC loan and has started seeding cover crops for other farmers. Shelby, too, looks to a new beginning when she graduates. “I’m not sure what I want to do, but I know I want to work directly with farmers,” she says. n

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volume 18 | issue 1 | mafc.com

Despite not being on a major thoroughfare, the stand has been a huge success. “You look out and there are seven or eight cars at one time,” says Tina. “And you better have corn up there after church,” she says, knowingly reflecting on the stand’s clientele.

competing at 16. He races in the super stock class and is the third fastest in the country in his class at 114.75 miles per hour.

farm | land

Shelby has helped customers at the family’s produce stand in Smyrna, Delaware since she was nine years old. A few years ago, concerned that weekends in Smyrna were cheating her daughters of their weekends, Tina suggested a produce stand at their home, but Steve did not think it would succeed. “There are watermelons rotting in fields all around here. I said no one would buy them. I was wrong,” he laughingly remembers.

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1-2

Veronica Wyre’s natural soap making business has been growing four-fold per year. At Annie’s Project, she learned how to grow at a pace that is sustainable.

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Annie’s Project: Helping women in agriculture

build skills and connections

story and photos by Susan Walker

When Bobbi-Jo Fout and her husband purchased a 30-acre farm in Taneytown, Maryland two years ago, neither of them had any agricultural experience and they did not intend to become farmers, they simply wanted some land and a home in the country. They purchased the property at an estate sale and got a bit of A surprise at the closing.

“When we went to sign the papers, there were the agricultural intent documents,” she says. “When we chose the property, we had not planned to actively farm, but now we were required to. We really didn’t know what we were getting into.”

They decided to lease out some of the land for haymaking and Bobbi-Jo, who works full-time for Maryland Public Television, raised chickens for eggs and meat, as well as goats. “It was just overwhelming at the beginning,” she adds. “There were so many things I did not know.”

Looking for some guidance and support, she turned to the University of Maryland Extension. It was there she found a unique resource—Annie’s Project. The program was started in Illinois in 2004 by Ruth Fleck Hambleton, a farm business and marketing educator with the University of Illinois Extension. Hambleton developed the program in honor of her mother, Annette “Annie” Kohlhagen Fleck, who was born in 1922, taught school, and then married a farmer and spent a lifetime working on the family farm.

Annie Fleck strove to overcome the challenges a life in agriculture can bring—tight finances, living and cooperating with multiple generations, and managing the needed recordkeeping. She was an active worker and business partner on the farm and, her daughter remembers, a skilled record keeper who used the information she gathered to help make important business decisions. Hambleton decided to start a program to

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help farm women like her mother build the business, marketing, and financial skills they need to help their family farming operations succeed.

Annie’s Project has now spread to more than 20 states, including Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Shannon Dill and Jennifer Rhodes coordinate the program for Maryland and Delaware. Since they began in Maryland in 2008 on the Eastern Shore with a class of 19 women, the local Annie’s Project has grown significantly. According to Shannon, more than 350 women have been educated through the program and classes are offered at 13 different sites across Maryland and Delaware.

“As county agents, we offer a lot of different programs, but most are production based and most of the attendees are male,” explains Shannon. “We know that women have strong roles on the farm and make important contributions to the farm business, so we wanted to provide them with a resource to help them build the financial, record keeping, marketing, and risk management skills they need to play this active role.”

Unlike many women who come to Annie’s Project, Bobbi-Jo Fout had a strong accounting and financial background.

“What I needed and found was agricultural knowledge and a network of people willing to share their expertise,” she says.

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“Though I never thought I’d farm, I love what I’m doing.

I love the land and working with the chickens and goats,” explains Bobbi-Jo.

“All the educators who teach in Annie’s Project have a real passion for sharing their experiences and helping women in agriculture gain skills and confidence,” says Shannon Dill, extension educator.

Annie’s Project consists of eight sessions that cover a range of risk For more information about Annie’s Project in your area: management topics, Maryland/Delaware: anniesproject.umd.edu/ including production, marketing, financial, Pennsylvania: extension.psu.edu/farm-business/ human resources, and education/annies-project legal risk. The women West Virginia: wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2012/09/06/annieswho have taken part in

project-to-offer-free-farm-management-training-forwomen-in-agriculture-from-wvu-extension-service

learning the best way to grow your business Veronica Wyre, owner of Wyre Naturals in Elkton, Maryland and a Maryland Master Gardner, also knows the benefits of taking part in Annie’s Project. She owns a small specialty farm where she grows herbs that she sells and uses to make handcrafted soaps. She also produces honey, jellies and teaches workshops about a range of topics.

“I have been making soap since my grandmother’s friend taught me the craft when I was a girl,” explains Veronica. “For years, it was a hobby, something I did for friends and family, but when my children grew up, I decided to turn my hobby into a business. I was looking for information on how to make that transition with the Cecil County Small Business Librarian and

found a number of different resources including Annie’s Project.

I wanted to learn how to grow and market my business sustainably and I found that and more with Annie’s Project.”

farm | land

the Maryland/Delaware program have ranged in age from 18 to 78, but they all share a passion for agriculture and their farm business. The program is taught by experienced local agricultural educators who tailor the course offerings to the interests and situations farm women in their area face. Shannon and Jennifer are also adding a new component to Annie’s Project for 2013. Annie’s Project II will cover the issues involved with planning for the future and passing the farm on to the next generation. Topics will include succession planning, estate planning, retirement planning, and business planning.

But for both Veronica and Bobbi-Jo, the most important benefit of taking part in the program was not the business skills they learned. It was the network they connected with.

“The people I met through Annie’s Project helped me quickly learn the ins and outs of the agricultural process,” notes Bobbi-Jo. “I’ve taken part in the program twice and find that I meet new people and learn something different each time.

I became part of the Central Maryland Poultry Production Program and now have access to the facilities and other resources I need to process our chickens in line with state regulations in a more affordable manner.”

Adds Veronica, “Annie’s Project allowed me to meet people in similar situations and let me know I’m not on my own out here. I tapped into expanded resources and got the benefit of local knowledge and the chance to connect with the support and expertise of local mentors.”

“Annie’s Project provides valuable practical information for farm management, but what so many participants tell us is that it is place where they can come together with other women in similar situations to share experiences and insights and that’s something that is not easy to find,” says Shannon. n

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Youth Video Contest: For 4-H Clubs, FFA Chapters or Youth Agriculture Groups Could your 4-H club, FFA chapter, or other youth agriculture group use some extra cash? Are you creative and excited about agriculture? If so, enter our video contest and tell us what “Live. Laugh. Farm.” means to your group.

All video must be submitted on our Facebook page by March 22, 2013. Then, well open up the polls for voting to determine who will win the $500 grand prize (2nd place—$250 and 3rd place—$100)!

For complete rules and eligibility terms, visit our Facebook page.

volume 18 | issue 1 | mafc.com

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AgBiz Masters gets young and beginning farmers

plowing forward in the right direction at a reasonable speed! story by Jennifer Showalter

One thing young and beginning farmers have plenty of is ambition. but having the discipline to not get carried away can be a challenge if things aren’t carefully thought out and planned. With the ever changing society of today, business and financial management are more important than ever before for both the established and those just getting started.

The AgBiz Masters two-year program is a great educational tool available for young and beginning farmers to gain hands-on business and financial management training that hopefully will help them get going on the right foot whether they are current farm owners and operators or plan to become part of a farm’s management or ownership in the near future.

who can participate AgBiz Masters is a nationally-recognized, award-winning learning series designed to help young and beginning farmers develop skills needed to ensure long term sustainability in their business.

Beginning farmers, those with less than ten years of experience, and young farmers, those who are 35 years old or less, from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia can take advantage of this great opportunity.

“Any young or beginning farmer is welcome in the program. One key differentiator about the program is that it is supported by 24 different agricultural organizations, including Farm Credit. All 24 partners work together to market the

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program, plan meetings and much more. It is truly unique that so many organizations have come together to support the future of agriculture,” says Raechel Sattazahn, Marketing Officer with AgChoice Farm Credit and Program Administrator for AgBiz Masters.

what it’s all about Participants can expect to cover megatrends of agriculture, strategic business planning, preparation for lenders, balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow projections all in the first year. The second year is dedicated to understanding lending decisions; farm business management factors and benchmarks; growth and transition management; personal financial management; and communication, ethics, and leadership. AgBiz Masters is designed so each module builds upon one another.

Participants must enroll in one year of the program at a time and are expected to complete both years.

“The main goal of the program is to build the business and financial management skills of participants and help them to create a business plan. Many of our

participants also gain a lot of value from networking with fellow young and beginning farmers in the program and industry representatives,” says Sattazahn.

When 24 year old Ben Butler of Montgomery County, MD decided to return home to his family farm, Butler’s Orchard, he was eager to get a strong grip on the business’s financial management strategies.

With AgBiz Masters conveniently fitting into his schedule, Ben and his brother, Tyler, enrolled in the program and have been involved with AgBiz for a little over a year.

“My brother and I chose to participate in AgBiz Masters because it was a very rare opportunity to further our business and finance education, with a complete focus around family farming. We are the third generation on the family farm, and it takes both a practical mind and a business mind to make family farming successful in this day in age,” says Ben Butler.

He later adds, “Based on our situation, I have found the opportunity to put together a rough draft of a business plan the most useful part of AgBiz Masters. This is my first exposure to real Ag business type financial situations, so having AgBiz Masters take

farm | land For more information on AgBiz Masters, visit agbizmasters.com.

Ben Butler Butler’s Orchard Montgomery County MD

us through the process has been a huge help. Taking the time to do this now, will surely benefit me in the future when I am running my own family farm.”

how is it setup This interactive series utilizes a new blended learning approach with on-demand, eLearning modules and activities along with face-to-face regional seminars led by industry experts. Both first and second year participants complete five online modules, participate in online discussion forums, and complete assignments and exams. A kick-off meeting and two face-to-face workshops supplement the online learning and allow participants and facilitators to reemphasize key concepts, personally interact, and network.

The modules are available for participants to take at their convenience, but

High speed internet access is necessary for the participants to view the on-line modules, but those who do not have this capability at their homes or business should not pass up the opportunity. Many local libraries have free internet access available to the public, and several of the program supporters allow participants to use computers with high speed internet access at their local offices.

an education that keeps giving With the fourth year of AgBiz Masters underway, more and more people are discovering the positive differences the program can have on beginning and young farmers. “So far, the program has

reached more than 300 young and beginning farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and beyond without counting the current participants,” says Sattazahn.

Having over 100 graduates of the program, it is only appropriate that an AgBiz Masters+ alumni program was recently started to encourage graduates to continue to build on their lifelong learning commitment, network with others, and apply what they have learned. The alumni are evaluated on their commitment to the foundation principles of AgBiz Masters and are presented certificates of completion on a yearly basis.

Ben adds, “By offering this program, Farm Credit is showing their commitment and support to young and beginning farmers. The program is truly set up for real farmers. Farm Credit has done a great job presenting a realistic, handson educational program for young and beginning farmers.”

The next AgBiz Masters class will be held November 2013 – March 2014.

Enrollment will open for the class during August of 2013. n

volume 18 | issue 1 | mafc.com

Raechel Sattazahn marketing officer AgChoice Farm Credit

a suggested timeline is available so everyone is on target with the topics discussed at the in-person meetings. With video conference technology equipped in each workshop location, speakers are able to reach out to the participants without the burden of long distance travel.

The workshops are held in 15 locations across the coverage area to make the in-person requirements more convenient for participants.

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Live. Laugh. Farm.

MAFC annual stockholder meetings are a time to find out how your association did in 2012 and what is planned for 2013. It is also a time to visit with your neighbors, share a few laughs with them and MAFC staff members, and to talk about what you love to do—farm!

meeting agenda 6:15 Registration 6:45 Call to Order 7:00 Dinner 8:00 Business Meeting & Elections* 9:00 Laugh with our humorous speaker *You can see more details on our elections on the MAFC website: mafc.com. If you can’t make it to a meeting this year, you can follow them LIVE on Twitter at #MAFCAM. We’ll be tweeting all the best parts.

Speaking of best parts, this year your cooperative will be distributing more than $28 million in patronage payments, with over $10 million in cash. We will not be distributing checks at our meetings this year, but will mail them directly to our members on March XX. You will get your checks

prepare to laugh

sooner, and you won’t have to wait in line when you come to the meeting—that’s something to love!

registration There are two ways you can register for this year’s annual stockholder meetings: • Go to mafc.com and complete the online registration form (it is quick and easy!)

• Complete the RSVP postcard in your annual meeting information statement.

Watch your mailbox as it will be sent to you in early March.

2013 annual meetings dates April 2

Wicomico Youth & Civic Center

Salisbury, MD

April 3

Modern Maturity Center

Dover, DE

April 4

Yoder’s Restaurant

New Holland, PA

April 9

Walkersville Fire Hall

Walkersville, MD

April 10

Millwood Station

Winchester, VA

This year Mark Mayfield will entertain annual meeting guests in Salisbury, Dover and New Holland. Mark talks about very serious stuff in a very funny way! He has learned that people either want to be entertained while they learn or just purely entertained. Mark is an author and his book, Mom Rules, is a comedic yet poignant look at those things Mom said to us as kids. He was recently described as “one of the very few, really funny, inspiring men in America today.”

Jerry Carroll will entertain folks at the Walkersville and Winchester meetings.

His tagline reads: Farm-Raised. Certified Funny. Jerry harvests a bumper crop of hilarity in his fast-paced, highenergy presentation.

His entertaining and relatable topics about everyday life crack up the most hard-toplease crowd! Jerry found humor growing up on his family’s farm. From the time he could walk, he joined his father and uncle out in the fields and in the barns. When not on the road making people laugh, Jerry still works the fields of his family’s farm.

you can live large in 2013…

Twitter at #MAFCAM and our Facebook page. Please be sure to read the legalese below or go to mafc.com for complete rules.

A John Deere gator will be the grand prize at this year’s annual stockholder meeting!

Now that’s a piece of equipment you can live with, laugh as you ride around in it, and certainly get some farm work done with it!

One lucky winner will be awarded a brand new Gator XUV 550 Crossover Utility Vehicle! This model has a powerful V-twin engine, independent four-wheel suspension, and the availability of over 75 attachments (not included, you’ll have to purchase them on your own)! It also has a custom design…so it will be one of a kind!

How do you enter to win? Attend an annual meeting and complete an entry form. After the five meetings are

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over, we’ll choose a winner on or about April 24.

The winner will be contacted directly.

We’ll also post the winner’s information on

No purchase necessary. Sweepstakes open only to invited stockholders and approved guests, who are legal US citizens, at least 18 years of age, who are in attendance at one of the venues of the 2013 annual stockholder meetings. A copy of the full Official Rules of this promotion will be available at each meeting venue.

Approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is $8,600; however, winner may accept a $2,000 cash alternative. Drawing for Grand Prize will be held on/about 4/24/13, under the supervision of an independent sweepstakes administrator. Void where prohibited.

your association

Now Offering Crop Insurance from

Delmarva to MidMaryland and from Valley to Penn Regions story by KatHI G. LEVAN, crop insurance manager

Welcome to the Crop Insurance Department of MidAtlantic Farm Credit. Farm Credit has always provided the necessary tools and services for farmers to thrive in their business endeavors and we believe crop insurance is one of the most important and highly regarded risk management tools available. Crop insurance puts a safety net under your farming operation for those years that produce low yields or large fluctuations in market prices. In the past three years our association alone has paid over $30 million in crop insurance indemnities to area farmers.

There are many different programs and levels of coverage for farmers to choose.

Making sure you have the right agent to help you navigate through the many rules and regulations is very important. Our agents are current with the many changes that occur in these programs from year to year and we keep you up to date on the changes as well as making sure your reporting forms are received prior to the

reporting deadlines throughout the year.

We strive to keep it as simple as possible for our customers.

Some agents shy away from difficult to write programs such as Adjusted Gross Revenue or policies that require written agreements. Here at Farm Credit we view these types of policies as part of the valuable service we provide. If the coverage is available, our agents will work together with the insurance company to help you get the policy you need.

One of the new things available for some 2013 spring crops is the Trend Adjusted Yield Option. This has been a popular option

Delmarva Teresa Gleockler

Delmarva Kelly Bailey

in the Midwest and will be another valuable tool for our farmers in this area. Also precision farming is on the rise and the new technology is amazing. Together with Rain & Hail we have the necessary tools in place to support the use of this technology for reporting acres and production.

When I think about the theme for this quarter’s Leader, “Never Stop Learning,� I think about what a strong resource we can be for area farmers who are trying to figure out their risk management plans for 2013. We are happy to talk you through the options and help you come up with a plan that works for you!

MidMaryland Jason Wisecarver

Virginia and West Virginia Steve Grant

Pennsylvania Dwayne Salem

volume 18 | issue 1 | mafc.com

Here at Farm Credit we work hard to make you successful. We have been writing crop insurance through Rain & Hail, LLC for our producers for over 25 years and now we will provide this valuable service to our entire association. We have increased the staff in our department and we now offer crop insurance from Delmarva to our MidMD and Valley Regions and also up into our Penn Region. Our agents are licensed in five states (MD, DE, VA, WV and PA) and unlike many other agents out there today, crop insurance is all we do. Our knowledge and experience in this business is what sets us apart from the rest.

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Properties for

sale

Laurel, Delaware

Wyoming, Delaware

Move-in ready rancher close to Trap Pond. Boasts large eat-in kitchen, large sunroom, 2 car garage, fixed attic stairs to huge storage area, above ground pool and irrigated landscape. $249,900.

181 +/- acres, 120 tillable, 60 in standing timber. Running stream, upland game including deer and turkey. Very productive soils. Opportunity to own income producing property. $1,357,500.

Contact Fred Sponseller, Cooper Realty Associates, 302.258.6983.

Contact Jack Kling, Re/Max Horizons, Inc., 302.678.4324.

Centerville, Maryland

Conowingo, Maryland

Cordova, Maryland

Country setting on 2+ acres between Easton and Cordova. Three bedroom Colonial includes a master bedroom with tray ceilings and spacious bath, kitchen with breakfast nook and dining room, library/office off the entrance foyer and large garage with added carport. $389,000.

Contact R. James Latham, Exit Latham Realty, 410.822.2152.

Denton, Maryland

Cape Cod on 28 acres near Rt. 301.

Three bedroom, 2 ½ baths with open country kitchen. First floor master suite & large office or additional bedrooms over 2 car garage. 22 tillable acres & pond. Large pole shed and workshop.

No restrictions. $635,000.

Contact David Leager, Sassafras River Realty, Ltd., 410.778.0238 or 410.708.0891.

Easton, Maryland

23 acre gentlemen’s farm in Cecil County. Located at the head of the Chesapeake Bay and includes 3 bedroom house, barn, garage, springhouse & pond. $399,900.

Contact Charlie Roosa, Key Realty, Inc., 410.398.1247.

Easton, Maryland

11+ acre farmette with custom built home consisting of 2 parcels with horse barn and pastures. Home offers 4 bedrooms with first floor master suite, kitchen with separate dining room, family room and backyard oasis with pool. $499,000.

Contact Barbara Beaudet, Exit Latham Realty, 410.829.2881.

Greensboro, Maryland

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Middlespring Farm – restored late 18th century brick plantation home on 8 +/- acres and surrounded by substantial farmland. The 3 bedroom, 3 bath home features original moldings and 5 fireplaces. 100 year old restored barn and 4 car garage in peaceful setting. $1,995,000.

Great location for home occupation business or small farmstead. 24.47 acres zoned Western Rural Conservation with lots of permitted uses and with a valid perc certificate and a well already in place. Includes a 40x100 ft. pole barn with office space, two 10 ft. doors, three 12 ft. doors and 220 amp service. $595,000.

New construction, be the first to own this home! Construction is almost complete. Contact Realtor for warranty information and optional closing cost assistance. $177,900.

Contact Skipper Marquess, Exit Latham Realty, 410.924.3212.

Contact Bill Wieland, Benson and Mangold Real Estate, 410.310.0803.

Contact Kim Raeder, Champion Realty, Inc. 410.320.9630.

Many options available with this 5 or 6 bedroom home on 5 rural acres.

Horses allowed. Has been certified child care or use as home office, in-law or rental suite with separate entrance. New appliances. Large attached 2 car garage, small creek on property. Partial fenced backyard and large deck. $200,000.

Contact Dirk Dekker, Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Co, LLC, 410.822.900.

Libertytown, Maryland

127 acres with 92 tillable acres, 43 pasture and some woods. Farm in Ag Preservation. Stone house with bank barn built in the 1850s. $995,000.

Contact Pat Brunner, Mackintosh, Inc., 240.529.0104.

Rock Hall, Maryland

Hampstead, Maryland

Kennedyville, Maryland

71.91 acres with 60 acres tillable.

Approximately 4 acres woodland, remainder curtilage and pasture. Bank barn and outbuildings. Crops reserved for tenant farmer. Property has potential for 7 lots. Not subject to farmland preservation easements. $1,100,000.

40 acre parcel, all tillable with approved perc in rural location.

No restrictions. Great location. $395,000.

Contact Garry A. Haines, Haines Realty, 410.876.1616.

Preston, Maryland

Contact Sharon Clark, Sassafras River Realty, Ltd., 410.778.0238 or 410.708.7854.

Taneytown, Maryland

Purchase your own farm only minutes from Easton. 102+ acres, 68 tillable and the balance in pasture and woods.

Offering 52x60 barn with 7 stalls, wash stall with hot water, 30x30 finished workshop, 40x80 pole barn with four 14 ft. doors, 3 car garage with apartment.

Five ponds, goose pit & blind. $995,000.

61 acre farm. Contemporary home with 4 bedrooms. Barn and outbuildings. Privacy and large pond along with rolling land in hay and pasture. $449,000.

Contact Bryan Wieland, Benson and Mangold Real Estate, 410.829.5913.

Contact Larry E. Haines, Haines Realty, 410.876.1616.

Rocky Ridge, Maryland

community

Greensboro, Maryland

Rohrersville, Maryland

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Eastern Shore lot, residential or hunting, near the Chesapeake Bay. Remington Farms borders the east side of the property. Wooded 8.8 acre lot has single family sewage allocation. The quaint town of Rock Hall is less than 5 miles away and historic Chestertown is a pastoral 12 mile drive. $139,000.

Contact Richard Budden, Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate, 443.480.1181.

4 bedrooms, 3 full bath rancher on 9.78 acres with vaulted ceiling in kitchen and living room. Master suite with walk-in closet and jetted tub. Fully finished lower level with full bath, 4th bedroom, den, family room with pellet stove and walkout to yard. Shed/tractor building and goat/sheep barn. $309,900.

3+ acre lots perked and ready to build with awesome views.

Owner financing possible. Two lots available, close to Marc Rail and major commuter routes. $99,900.

Contact Cindy Grimes, J & B Real Estate, Inc., 301.271.3487.

Contact Ted Lapkoff, Re/Max All Pro, 301.695.2996.

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Need financing for any of these properties? Call your local Farm Credit office.

All of the properties listed on these pages are offered for sale by local, licensed Realtors. MidAtlantic Farm Credit is not affiliated with these properties, nor are we responsible for content or typographical errors. Please call the Realtor listed for more information.

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Properties for

sale (continued)

Rohrersville, Maryland

Sabillasville, Maryland

Sabillasville, Maryland

Frederick/Washington County line, just over the hill from historic Burkittsville.

Incredible rural setting. Conventional perc approved. 10 lots to choose from.

Some lots partially wooded, some with Civil War stone walls, some back to park land. Owner financing possible. $90,000.

Rancher on 11 acres. Privacy and tremendous views. Beautiful stone fireplace in living room, 2 finished rooms over the 2 car garage that would be great for studio, computer room, etc.

Large 24x36 out building. Property can be subdivided. Watch the wildlife from the sunroom. $339,900.

2 parcels of 3.69 acres each (7+ total).

Gently sloping building sites with mountain views. Perc approved. Catoctin Mountain State Park entrance across street. Convenient to PA, Ft. Ritchie and Thurmont areas. $121,500 and $118,000.

Contact Sharon Lapkoff, Re/Max All Pro, 301.432.2244.

Contact Bonita Smith, J & B Real Estate, Inc., 301.271.3487.

Contact Frank Getz, Coldwell Banker Innovations, 301.992.9652.

Sudlersville, Maryland

Christiana, Pennsylvania Lovely setting in southeastern Lancaster County with meandering stream through meadow. Buildings set back off road with southern exposure. Would make great produce farm. Has existing 32x48 greenhouse and variance in place to run business at farm location. $668,000.

3 bedroom, 2.5 bath contemporary home on 22 acres. Great hunting and lots of privacy. Hardwood floors, granite countertops and upgraded appliances.

Deck, sun porch and multiple out buildings. $389,900.

Contact Tom Boeshore, Rosendale Realty, 410.758.0333.

Upperco, Maryland

Contact Christ W. Taylor, BeilerCampbell Realtors, 717.371.1915.

Grantville, Pennsylvania 56 acre East Hanover Twp. Farm.

Exceptional home, first-class stable and grounds equipped for horses. Plenty of privacy and minutes from main highways and Penn National Race Course. $1,180,000.

Contact Michael B. Yingling, Re/Max Delta Group, Inc., 717.648.8303.

Berryville, Virginia Heart of MD Hunt Cup Co-A premier equestrian facility. Gated property leading to fully renovated 1800s farmhouse.

Pool house/guest house with spectacular pool. 3 barns, indoor/outdoor dressage arenas, numerous pastures and paddocks, cross country course and hay fields. $2,500,000.

Contact Denie Dulin, Prudential Homesale YWGC Realty, 410.804.7142.

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Fairfield, located 1 hour west of Washington, DC beltway. Built in 1768, stately stone manor with original details, 7 bedrooms, 4 baths, 8 fireplaces. Two cottages, smokehouse, greenhouse & workshop on 38 acres. Same family/owner since 1830. Owneragent. $2,775,000.

Contact Robin R. Greenhalgh, Greenhalgh Real Estate, 540.327.6201.

All of the properties listed on these pages are offered for sale by local, licensed Realtors. MidAtlantic Farm Credit is not affiliated with these properties, nor are we responsible for content or typographical errors. Please call the Realtor listed for more information.

Fort Valley, Virginia

Front Royal, Virginia

Middletown, Virginia

137 acre working farm. Included is a 1800s farmhouse awaiting your renovations. 2 barns, one three-sided shed, assorted outbuilding and more.

Passage Creek runs through the property. Borders the National Forest. $1,100,000.

Mountain property with timber, hunting, ¼ mile frontage on Gooney Creek, 1930s era log cabin. 62+ acres approximately 75 minutes from Washington, DC. Within sight of Shenandoah River and Shenandoah National Park. $479,000.

Contact Victoria Stallings, ERA Beasley Realty, 540.335.1004.

Contact Steven Toop, United Brokers Ltd, 877.827.8919.

Mount Jackson, Virginia

Toms Brook, Virginia

community

Need financing for any of these properties? Call your local Farm Credit office.

Development opportunity. 20.33 acres, hook up to town water and sewer. Rolling land, mountain view, small pond. Mostly cleared and fully fenced. Near I-81. $1,399,000.

Contact Wendy Conner, Skyline Team Real Estate, 540.975.0390.

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

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Historic Shenandoah Valley farm sited on 107 acres near village of Hudson Cross Roads. 4 bedroom, 2 bath circa 1797 home with original log interior with beamed ceilings, new kitchen & master suite. Large barn with stalls and work room. Property is mostly fenced.

Outdoor wood furnace. $779,900.

Contact Cindy Dellinger, United Country Shenandoah Valley Realty, 540.477.9791.

Beautiful blending of historic log, country cottage and farmhouse. Surrounded by nature, 40+ acre farmette has two year round streams flowing through it, a buffer of woodlands full of wildlife plus organic pasture. Exposed logs, heart pine flooring, run-in shed, plus more. $465,000.

Contact Anita H. Rhodes, Johnston & Rhodes Real Estate, 540.335.9171.

Land is currently 68.72 unrestricted acres, but being surveyed for subdivision. Property conveys with 3 up-to-date septic & well permits. Option to complete the steps for subdivision or keep the property as acreage. Mostly wooded with some pasture and mountain views. No value given to house. $210,000.

Contact Teresa Seville, Coldwell Banker Premier Homes, 304.671.3515.

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life in your lifestyle?

If you have a dream to add more life to your lifestyle—whether it’s a pond for your kids to enjoy, fencing to keep your puppy safe and close to home, or even a brand new farm that would give everyone a little more room—call your local Farm Credit office. We want to be your lender for life.

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