Annual Event Provides Education and Networking for Young Farmers
FCI hosted nearly 50 young farmers representing 33 farm businesses in Indianapolis Feb. 1-2. The annual Young Farmer Retreat was facilitated by
Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus of agricultural economics from Virginia Tech University, and included breakout sessions on strategies for facing today's challenging farming economics, success tips for spouses and partners, leveraging FCI relationships, and land value updates. In addition to the educational sessions, participants had opportunities to network and share ideas throughout the program and during a tour and dinner at Lucas Oil Football Stadium.
Are you a young farmer and member-owner interested in attending a future young farmer event? If so, please contact your local office for information.
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KOHL-laborations
The Logic Behind a Resilient Business
Emotions can hinder any business decisions in both the prosperous and challenging times. While those hasty decisions may not break an operation in the good times, farmers must interject logic through proactive planning and objective assessment to ensure their business remains sustainable and profitable as the economic reset continues.
With a traditional row crop operation and 150 acres of pecan trees -- the northern-most commercial pecan grove at this scale in the nation -- the Voss' are always producing a crop and filling a niche in Illinois nuts.
The Ag Economy Barometer measures the health of the U.S. agriculture economy with an index value based on a survey of agricultural producers on economic sentiment. A score of 100 means producer sentiment is unchanged from the six-month baseline research period; a score higher than 100 means sentiment improved from the base period; a score lower than 100 means sentiment declined versus the base period.
A lot of personal information is stored on mobile devices. If an unsecured cell phone, laptop, or tablet is stolen or misplaced, hackers can easily steal your identity or use your information to perform illegal activities. Following simple T.I.P. procedures when using a mobile device makes it more difficult for your information to be discovered and better protects you from the expensive and challenging process of recovering from identity theft.
Chad was raised in Paris and received a bachelor's degree in economics from Eastern Illinois University before working 25 years with Cargill, Inc. There he held various roles within the dry milling business including production management, commodity merchandising, and business leadership and advisement. Chad joined the FCI Paris team on Feb. 6 as the regional manager.
Farm Credit Illinois maintains a list of upcoming farmland auctions submitted within the Association's 60-county marketplace. The listing can be found at www.farmcreditIL.com.
FCI knows you never stop working. But in this off-season, here's a chance to treat your loved ones to a meal at your favorite local restaurant. Be sure to include the name and city of the restaurant of your choice in your entry to win one of five $100 gift cards.
Congratulations to the winners of the winter survival kit following Issue 1:
Ken Schoenberh of Washington County
Sharon Buchanan of Lawrence County
Duane Behrends of Iroquois County
Barbara Pesch of Sangamon County
Cathy Babbs of Coles County
Larry Greenwood of Bond County
Larry Koberlein of Fayette County
Ann Ochs of Union County
David Gramenz of Randolph County
Fred Clifford of Morgan County
In Issue 1 of Essentials, readers were asked what their favorite part of the e-newsletter is. Here are the results from 356 respondents:
A special tribute to employees who reached significant milestones in their years of service to members and rural communities with Farm Credit Illinois since Nov. 20, 2016.
