HeartBeat Summer 2016 | Page 17

100 years of growing relationships and creating opportunities. 1987 The Agricultural Credit Act signed into law. The act infused up to $4 billion into the Farm Credit System and created the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation. 1985 The Farm Credit System was holding $69.8 billion in outstanding loans and the national farm debt reached $212 billion. Approximately 28 percent of American farmers were facing financial failure. This year, the Farm Credit System’s losses totaled $2.7 billion, the largest one-year loss of any financial institution in U.S. history at the time. In December the Farm Credit Amendments Act was signed increasing FCA oversight and regulatory powers. 2007 The boards of Farm Credit Services of Eastern and Western Missouri ‘s associations voted to proceed with a merger. The two officially became Farm Credit Services of Missouri in July 2002. FCS Financial Rural Community and Agriculture Foundation established with initial funding of $1 million. FCS Financial distributed patronage for the first time in its history. Today more than $61 million has been returned to member-owners. 1988 Prior to the mid-80s, Farm Credit was recognized through many corporate identities. The creation of the biostar resulted from a national effort to bring all these various entities under one identifiable symbol during years of consolidation and rebuilding of the Farm Credit System. 1986 FLBA and PCA’s went under common management to pool resources and cut costs. Consolidations in Missouri were measures taken to ensure survival. The Central Production Credit Association was the outcome to save many PCA’s in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas from insolvency. 2016 2001 2011 2006 Farm Credit Services of Missouri changed its name to FCS Financial to reach the diverse audience it serves. As FCS Financial looks toward the future, an investment is made in field offices. Between 2011 and 2016 seven new offices were built to serve member-owners. 12 Federal Land Banks