communityconnected

COMMUNITYCONNECTED
2013 AgriBank Giving Report
Inside
4……………………………….…..To Our Stakeholders
6………………………………..…….New Sponsorships
10……………………..…..Focus: Urban Agriculture
12…………………...Rural Community Grant Fund
14.…....Minneapolis-St. Paul Charitable Giving
16………………………………………...About AgriBank
On the Cover
AgriBank sponsors Windy City Harvest, an
urban agriculture training program in
Chicago. See page 10.
$2.1 MILLION
in total giving in 2013,
including:
ROOTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES
AgriBank is on a mission to serve rural America. As
part of the Farm Credit System, a borrower-owned
financial cooperative, supporting American agriculture
is at the core of our business operations and extends
to everything we do. Community involvement is an
important way for us to further this mission. In
partnership with 17 affiliated Farm Credit
Associations, we support all agriculture – traditional
and non-traditional – in the hopes of creating a
balanced approach for America's ag future.
NEARLY $500,000
in new sponsorships in 2013
Education
Agriculture
Advocates
Community
Support
Young,
Beginning,
Small Farmers
Disaster Relief
$1.2 million to sponsor traditional
and non-traditional agricultural
programs
$700,000 to support projects in
western North Dakota communities
affected by oil and mineral
exploration and production
Land/Water
Conservation
$150,000 to support Minneapolis-St.
Paul charities
$27,000 to match employee
contributions
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COMMUNITYCONNECTED
Urban
Agriculture
Food Security
and Local
Foods
$1.1 MILLION awarded since 2012
through the Rural Community Grant Fund, a partnership with Farm Credit Services of Mandan and Farm Credit Services
of North Dakota, to support projects in western North Dakota communities affected by oil and mineral exploration and
production
AgriBank joined United FCS in sponsoring this tractor for a student
garden.
SUPPORTING the next generation of American Agriculture
AgriBank is proud to support programs that help to develop the next generation of ag talent.
This includes local and national support for programs such as FFA and 4-H that help to open young people’s minds to
the possibilities that a career in agriculture can offer.
And each year, in partnership with Agriculture Future of America's Leader and Academic Scholarship program,
AgriBank awards William J. Collins Scholarships to the children of AgriBank District employees planning to pursue
careers in agriculture.
We believe by helping the best and brightest pursue careers in agriculture, we can fulfill our mission to help secure
the future of American agriculture.
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To Our
Stakeholders
AgriBank is proud to
help strengthen today’s
generation of American
farmers and ranchers
… and the next.
AgriBank continues to focus on our singular mission:
to support American agriculture. The primary way we
fulfill this mission is to collaborate with 17 affiliated
Farm Credit Associations in 15 states to provide a
reliable source of credit to farmers, ranchers,
agribusinesses, rural homeowners and other eligible
borrowers — through good times and challenging
times. We also fulfill this mission by providing funds to
support the communities we serve and all agriculture.
In 2013, AgriBank enjoyed another extraordinary year, recording our
second-highest ever profitability. This, along with other strong
financial measures, enabled us to return significant dollars to our
customer-owners through our patronage program. Our strong
financial results also enabled us to increase our charitable
contributions.
The United States is changing, and American agriculture is changing
with it. Our population is becoming more concentrated in urban and
suburban areas, as well as more diverse. Farmers and ranchers are
growing older, on average, and fewer in number. Technology is
making farming and ranching more complicated and efficient.
Consumers are increasingly concerned about where their food comes
from, and how it’s grown. New and emerging forms of agriculture
that embrace these changes present AgriBank with new opportunities
to fulfil our mission.
AgriBank supports a wide range of urban and other non-traditional
agriculture initiatives. This includes a wide variety of activities such as
programs to educate children and adults about food and agriculture,
training and other help for new entrants to agriculture, local food
initiatives including community gardens and farmers markets, and
other projects to improve access to fresh produce.
Whenever possible, we address community needs in partnership with
affiliated Farm Credit Associations, which may also provide financial
advice, investment, volunteers or other support in their local
communities. We also leverage opportunities throughout the entire
Farm Credit System, giving us the size and scope to make more
significant contributions than we could on our own. As an example of
this cooperation, in 2013 AgriBank was one of four Farm Credit
entities to contribute a total of $250,000 to launch a nationwide
"Homegrown By Heroes" program, which supports farmers who are
military veterans (see page 6).
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COMMUNITYCONNECTED
In 2014, AgriBank joined our Farm Credit partners and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack for
an event announcing the RBIC.
We are continuing such collaboration in 2014 as one of eight Farm Credit institutions
investing a total of $150 million in the Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC),
newly created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The RBIC will allow the USDA to
facilitate private equity investments in agriculture-related businesses across rural
America. AgriBank-affiliated Associations participating in the investment include
AgStar Financial Services, Farm Credit Services of America, Farm Credit Mid-America
and United FCS.
AgriBank is proud to help strengthen today’s generation of American farmers and
ranchers … and the next. We’re pleased to present this report on the many
innovative programs we fund in support of our important mission.
AgriBank’s giving is only part of
the millions of dollars given by
Farm Credit entities across the
country each year.
Douglas Felton
Chair
L. William York
Chief Executive Officer
June 2014
COMMUNITYCONNECTED
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New
Sponsorships
AgriBank supports a future of agriculture that is
diverse, inclusive and prepared for the challenges that
lie ahead. Through our sponsorships, we contribute to
a wide range of traditional and non-traditional
agriculture-related programs across our District, often
in partnership with affiliated Associations. In 2013, our
sponsorships totaled approximately $1.2 million —
including an increase of $500,000 for programs we
funded for the first time.
Our sponsorships are as varied as the needs themselves.
HOMEGROWN BY HEROES — AgriBank was one of four Farm Credit
entities to contribute a total of $250,000 to launch this nationwide
program, boosting the efforts of U.S. farmer veterans to market
their agriculture products. The program allows farmers who served
in the U.S. armed forces to add the Homegrown By Heroes logo to
their products' packaging and signage. The label is an easy way for
consumers to identify farmer veteran products and support the
nation's military veterans by purchasing those products.
IMMIGRANT AND MINORITY FARMERS CONFERENCE — Immigrant
and minority farmers gathered in St. Paul in February 2013 for the
largest annual conference of its kind. AgriBank joined AgStar
Financial Services and United FCS to support the event, which
provided workshops covering both agricultural best practices and
business topics to help the farmers be more successful.
INVEST AN ACRE — AgriBank and Farm Credit Services of America
support this partnership between the Howard G. Buffett Foundation
and Feeding America, which encourages farmers across the country
to donate one acre or more of crop proceeds to help fight hunger in
their own communities. Farmers’ donations are matched, with
proceeds going to local food shelves.
SOUTH DAKOTA RANCHER RELIEF FUND — When an early October
storm dumped heavy rain and up to 55 inches of snow in western
South Dakota, killing tens of thousands of farm animals over 2-1/2
days, AgriBank joined CoBank, Farm Credit Services of America,
Frontier Farm Credit and Northwest Farm Credit Services to
contribute to a fund established by the South Dakota Cattlemen's
Association, South Dakota Sheep Growers Association and South
Dakota Stockgrowers Association to help affected livestock
producers.
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COMMUNITYCONNECTED
2013 SPONSORSHIPS
URBAN AG IN THE CLASSROOM
Rural FFA students teach urban grade school students about agriculture
PARTNER: AgCountry Farm Credit Services
ANGELIC ORGANICS
LEARNING CENTER
AGRICULTURE
GARDEN AND FARM 2
SCHOOL PROGRAM
Strengthens small/beginning farm
businesses through asset acquisition
and technical assistance
PARTNER: 1st Farm Credit Services and
Badgerland Financial
Maintains educational
student garden
PARTNER: AgCountry Farm
Credit Services
ARKANSAS GROWN:
SCHOOL GARDEN
PROGRAM
Sponsors Arkansas
Department of Agriculture
contest for student gardeners
PARTNER: AgHeritage Farm
Credit Services, Farm Credit
Midsouth and Farm Credit of
Western Arkansas
GARDENING FOR
GREENBACKS
THE BIG GARDEN
Supports the development of community gardens in rural and urban areas in order to
provide residents with access to nutritious foods
PARTNER: Farm Credit Services of America
Provides access to fresh,
healthy and affordable food in
an urban area
PARTNERS: CoBank and Farm
Credit Mid-America
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2013 SPONSORSHIPS
(continued)
GREAT RIVER GREENING
Conserves watershed
HEALTHY WATER OHIO
Protects water resources in Ohio farm
communities
PARTNER: Farm Credit Mid-America
IMMIGRANT AND MINORITY
FARMERS CONFERENCE
Produces the nation’s largest annual
conference for immigrant and minority
farmers
PARTNERS: AgStar Financial Services
and United FCS
HOMEGROWN BY HEROES
Product labeling program will allow farmers, ranchers, fishermen and the like
from all 50 states who have or are serving in the military to use a Homegrown
By Heroes logo on their products
PARTNER: CoBank and Farm Credit Mid-America
Photo Credit: Brian McCord
INVEST AN
ACRE
A partnership between
the Howard G. Buffett
Foundation and Feeding
America that fights rural
hunger, working with
elevators to encourage
farmers to donate a
portion of the proceeds
of their grain sales to
local food banks
PARTNER: Farm Credit
Services of America
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COMMUNITYCONNECTED
SPEAK FOR
YOURSELF
Minnesota Farm Credit
organizations support the
Minnesota Farm Bureau
program to identify,
recruit, and train farmers
and ranchers to be
effective spokespersons on
issues important to
agriculture
PARTNERS: AgCountry
Farm Credit Services ,
AgStar Financial Services
and United FCS
KENTUCKY EXTENSION
FOOD TRUCK
Farm Credit Mid-America donated
funds to support a food truck to
bring fresh produce to urban food
deserts in Louisville. AgriBank
followed up with a contribution to
build on this program by furthering
research on Kentucky agriculture
and local food.
PARTNER: Farm Credit Mid-America
TELEHEALTH INITATIVE
Enables urban doctors to provide
cardiology consultations connecting
to rural patients
PARTNERS: AgStar Financial
Services, CoBank and United FCS
WOMEN IN AGRIBUSINESS
Annual conference for women
agriculture leaders
WEgrow
Financial, business and leadership
training for women in agriculture
RANCHER RELIEF FUND
Assists livestock producers impacted by the South Dakota blizzard
PARTNERS: CoBank, Farm Credit Services of America, Frontier Farm Credit and
Northwest Farm Credit Services
SECOND HARVEST
HEARTLAND
Captures ag surplus that goes
unharvested every year due to weather
and other issues and delivers it to area
food banks
PARTNER: AgStar Financial Services
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Focus: Urban
Agriculture
Farm Credit supports all
agriculture.
AgriBank’s mission is to serve all agriculture, traditional
and non-traditional, rural and urban. We recognize the
value urban farming offers to local communities as a
supplement to more traditional forms of agriculture.
We are committed to encouraging the development of
local food systems, including urban farming.
Our initiative to support urban agriculture began in earnest in 2012,
when we first announced support for Gardening for Greenbacks in
partnership with Farm Credit Mid-America. The city of Cleveland
developed Gardening for Greenbacks to increase the production of
local foods and establish a model for local food system development.
The ultimate goal is to help ensure every resident has access to fresh,
healthy and affordable food.
Since then, we have continued to expand our support for innovative
urban agriculture initiatives. For example, in 2013 we initiated
sponsorship of The Big Garden. This network of more than 70
community gardens in metro-Omaha and rural and semi-rural
communities in Nebraska and Kansas provides local residents with
access to nutritious foods. AgriBank partners with Farm Credit Services
of America, which sends volunteers to work on new gardens funded by
this sponsorship.
In early 2014, we initiated two sponsorships in partnership with two
other affiliated Farm Credit Associations, further demonstrating our
increasing commitment to urban agriculture:
WINDY CITY HARVEST — AgriBank and 1st Farm Credit Services are
sponsoring this urban agriculture training program run by The
Chicago Botanic Garden in partnership with Richard J. Daley College,
one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Windy City Harvest provides
instruction in urban agriculture best practices, develops
collaborations that benefit communities, and produces high-value,
nutritious produce that is sold at retail outlets and made available
and affordable for local residents. Our sponsorship will provide
training for urban farmers and create a certificate program that will
help them become entrepreneurs
Windy City Harvest
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COMMUNITYCONNECTED
HANTZ FARMS — AgriBank and
Greenstone Farm Credit Services
announced our support for this
organization’s efforts to transform blighted
urban properties into agricultural uses. In
May 2014, more than 100 Greenstone
employees helped Hantz plant 15,000
mixed-hardwood trees, turning a 1-squaremile inner-city area into a woodlands for
the enjoyment of area residents.
GreenStone will also engage and educate
young, beginning and small producers in an
emerging urban agriculture market about
financing opportunities.
Hantz Farms
URBAN AGRICULTURE ACROSS THE AGRIBANK DISTRICT
AgriBank partners with Farm Credit Associations throughout our District to support programs important to urban communities.
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Rural
Community
Grant Fund
Through the Rural Community Grant Fund, AgriBank
provides grants for needed services in cities and
towns affected by the explosive growth in oil and
mineral exploration and production in western North
Dakota. In 2013, the fund awarded more than
$700,000 — bringing the total awarded since 2012 to
$1.1 million.
The fund dedicates a percentage of AgriBank’s annual mineral income
earned in western North Dakota to help communities deal with rapid
population growth. AgriBank established the fund in 2012 in
partnership with Farm Credit Services of Mandan and Farm Credit
Services of North Dakota.
Grants up to $50,000 are available to support a variety of
infrastructure and development projects, including affordable
housing, fire and medical emergency services, medical facilities and
services, and education.
Halliday Public School District – $28,150 to install a safety fence at the
elementary school.
OUR MINERAL INTERESTS
AgriBank owns mineral interests in 13 of 15 states in its District. The Bank obtained these interests during the
Great Depression, when the Farm Credit System became the unwilling owner of foreclosed farms. Farm Credit
adopted the policy of reserving a portion (in most cases a one-half interest) of the mineral rights when selling the
property. If the mineral rights became valuable, the landowner would also profit. In 1986, all Farm Credit
institutions discontinued the practice of reserving mineral rights when selling acquired properties.
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"Pride Manchester House serves North Dakota's
most vulnerable children. The generous grant from
AgriBank will strengthen and expand our outreach
program to better serve the children and families in
need of mental health services.”
—Susan Gerenz, director, Pride Manchester House, Bismarck
Hazen Rural Fire Protection District – $15,000 for a jaws of life
rescue upgrade.
St. Luke’s Hospital, Crosby – $10,000 for a machine
to ensure that employee respirators fit properly in
the field.
"We are very grateful to Farm
Credit for helping us to build a
new safe house in Minot. We are
the only agency within 100 miles
that provides emergency shelter
to victims of domestic violence.
The new, larger facility will allow
us to provide shelter to up to 60
victims and children needing
protection.“
ND-SD Medical Transport – $26,784 to purchase a new monitor and
defibrillator in Linton, N.D.
—Shelly Bohl, grants coordinator,
Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Minot
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Minneapolis-St.
Paul Charitable
Giving
Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, AgriBank provides
charitable support to non-profit organizations serving
the communities where we live and work. We focus
on helping the least fortunate among us by
contributing to programs that provide education,
food, and shelter, and meet other basic needs.
In 2013, AgriBank
provided $150,000 to
support charities in St.
Paul and Minneapolis.
URBAN ROOTS
Urban Roots operates food and environmental programs on the East
Side of St. Paul. For nearly two decades, the organization has engaged
thousands of youth in education, training, and work projects that
provide service to the community, develop young leaders, and
improve health and the environment. AgriBank employees
complemented the company’s financial support in 2013 by
volunteering their time and participating in the Urban Roots Garden
Share Community Supported Agriculture program — a unique way to
contribute in exchange for enjoying fresh, local produce from
sustainably managed urban gardens.
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COMMUNITYCONNECTED
MERRICK COMMUNITY SERVICES
Merrick Community Services is dedicated to improving the lives of residents
of the East Side of St. Paul. It operates a community center and two food
shelves, and provides basic human services for individuals of all ages and
cultures. In addition to the financial support AgriBank provided in 2013, our
employees were actively with Merrick throughout the year through events
such as drives to collect food and school supply donations.
2013 Minneapolis-St.
Paul Area Donations
DOROTHY DAY CENTER
Provides food, shelter and other services
to homeless persons
JOSEPH’S COAT
Provides clothing and personal hygiene
products to disadvantaged individuals
and families through a free store
LOAVES AND FISHES
Provides nutritious meals to the hungry
MERRICK COMMUNITY SERVICES
Supports individuals and families with a
food shelf, school supplies and other
services
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
Fights poverty by supporting basic needs,
youth leadership, adult and family
education, and community building
NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION
Provides online lesson plans and
materials for teachers to use newspapers
in classrooms
OPEN ARMS
Delivers free meals to individuals living
with HIV/AIDS, MS, ALS, breast cancer
and other diseases
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA
Provides classroom education
opportunities
SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND
Second Harvest Heartland is the Upper Midwest’s largest hunger relief
organization and a member of Feeding America, a national network of more
than 200 food banks serving every state in the United States. The
organization is known for distributing great amounts of food quickly and
efficiently as well as pioneering ways to reduce waste and better use
abundant resources. In 2013, AgriBank supported Second Harvest Heartland
not only financially but through employee volunteer time to package food
for distribution to senior citizens.
SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND
Works with farmers to collect excess
produce and distribute it to area food
banks
UNITED WAY
Stabilizes families, helps children succeed
and empowers healthy lives
URBAN ROOTS
Focuses on community gardening,
nutrition, conservation and youth
development
COMMUNITYCONNECTED
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Associations in the
AgriBank District
About
AgriBank
AgriBank is one of the largest banks within the national Farm Credit System, with more
than $85 billion in total assets. Under the Farm Credit System’s cooperative structure,
AgriBank is owned by 17 affiliated Farm Credit Associations. The AgriBank District covers
America’s Midwest, a 15-state area from Wyoming to Ohio and Minnesota to Arkansas.
More than half of the nation’s cropland is located within the AgriBank District, providing
the Bank and its Association owners with exceptional expertise in production agriculture.
For more information, visit www.AgriBank.com
Contacts
Community Relations Inquiries
Media Inquiries
Kirstin Brost Grantham
Corporate Communications and Giving
[email protected]
(651) 282-8474
Megan Fairchild Anderson
Senior Marketing and Communications
Manager
[email protected]
(651) 282-8635
Address
AgriBank
30 E. 7th Street, Suite 1600
St. Paul, MN 55101