Dave’s view
David Janish, CEO
I recently attended a meeting which
included a number of Farm Credit
associations from across the country.
At the meeting, several associations
from California talked about the
drought, now in its fourth year, and
their concerns with the long-term
impact on fruit, nut, and vegetable
production. Other associations from
Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas
spoke of the flooding occurring in
their areas and the devastation and
long-term effects on agriculture.
Afterwards, I returned to Missouri
to a period of daily rains which
has affected our crop and livestock
producers in a variety of ways.
Some may expect after this
introduction that this article is going
to be about how “tough” agriculture
will be in 2015. That may eventually
be true, however, the rest of the story
related to these conversations is that
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HEARTBEAT | SUMMER 2015
each of the people I heard from
remained optimistic that we can and
will get through this period and, in
many cases, may come out better
positioned for the future. While all
industries face challenges, few are as
affected by factors outside of their
control, such as Mother Nature, as
agriculture. Our ability to adapt,
change and survive has defined who
we are for centuries.
Speaking of centuries, the
Farm Credit System will celebrate
its 100th anniversary in 2016. FCS
Financial as a member of the Farm
Credit System is planning our own
celebration for 2016. When the Farm
Credit System was created, there
were more than 1,000 associations
across the U.S., most serving a small
number of counties. Each state
would have several associations, and
real estate and operating loans were
provided by completely different
associations. Today, most associations
like FCS Financial serve much larger
territories and provide a full set of
products for real estate, operating
and equipment loans. In addition,
associations provide other services,
such as crop insurance, that benefit
our members. Like our members,
FCS Financial and our sister Farm
Credit associations have changed
and adapted to meet the needs of
agriculture in our areas. I can’t tell
you what FCS Financial will look like
in 100 years, only that it will continue
to evolve to meet the changing needs
of our members. Chairman Nivens
in his column later in this publication
addresses changes to our director
election process which is an example
of the ongoing adjustments we must
make as your association grows in
scope and scale.
More information will be coming
regarding our 100th anniversary
celebration. Many people including
past and present directors, employees,
and members are responsible for the
success your association has achieved
over these first 100 years. We hope all
of you will