Community Bankers of Iowa Monthly Banker Update January 2014 | Page 18

(Rural Mainstreet continued from previous page)

Minnesota: The December RMI for Minnesota fell to 53.6
from 53.9 in November. Minnesota’s farmland-price index for
December plunged to 40.9 from November’s 48.3. The newhiring index sank to 44.7 from November’s 44.7.
Missouri: The December RMI for Missouri climbed to a healthy
59.0 from 58.5 in November. The farmland-price index for
December declined to a strong 75.4 from November’s 81.3.
Missouri’s new-hiring index advanced to 78.2, up from 72.4 in
November.
Nebraska: After moving below growth neutral for January,
Nebraska’s Rural Mainstreet Index has been above growth
neutral for 11 straight months. The December RMI slipped to
54.4 from 54.8 in November. The farmland-price index for
December dipped to 48.0 from November’s 48.3. Nebraska’s
new-hiring index stood at 50.1, which was down from
November’s 50.4.

North Dakota: The North Dakota RMI for December declined
to 56.3, down from November’s 57.7. The farmland-price index
declined to 66.3 from 70.2 in November. North Dakota’s newhiring index fell to 61.0 from November’s 65.1.
South Dakota: The December RMI for South Dakota increased
to 55.8 from 55.6 in November. The farmland-price index for
December sank to 51.6 from 52.6 in November. South Dakota’s
new-hiring index for December declined to 53.3 from 55.7 in
November.
Wyoming: The December RMI for Wyoming sank to 54.5 from
November’s 55.1. The December farmland and ranchland price
index was unchanged from November’s 46.4. Wyoming’s newhiring index moved lower to 49.0 from November’s 49.2.

Community Bankers
Helping Farmers
Farm Rescue is a nonprofit organization
that provides planting and harvesting
assistance, free of charge, to farm families
who have experienced a major illness,
injury or natural disasters. It was founded
in 2006 and has helped more than 250
families since its inception by providing
the necessary equipment and manpower to
plant and harvest.
Farm Rescue helps farmers in North
Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, eastern
Montana, and Iowa. Volunteers comprise
the majority of Farm Rescue’s work
force and travel from all over the United
States in order to help a farmer in need.
Farm Rescue’s board is also comprised
of volunteers that include a farmer, a
publishing company owner, two pilots, and
two bankers, Gary Keller and Brian Matzke.
Operations are funded solely by donations,
grants and business sponsorships.
Sponsors range from Farm Rescue’s
exclusive equipment dealer, RDO Equipment Company,
to insurance companies to banks, such as Cooperative
Credit Company and American State Bank, both located
in northwestern Iowa. By working together, the staff,
volunteers and sponsors are able to help keep the
family farmer on the family farm.

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CBI Banker Update | JANUARY 2014

To find out more information about Farm Rescue,
visit www.farmrescue.org or call 701-252-2017.