Anne Thompson with FFA vice presidents Caroline Groth and Jack Lingenfelter.
Farm Credit was recently recognized as a National FFA Foundation Platinum partner for contributing more than $1 million in annual donations.
Farm Credit’s network of independent, cooperatively structured lending institutions invests in agriculture and rural communities. The Farm Credit Council, the organization’s national trade association, represents Farm Credit institutions serving all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Anne Thompson, vice president of Farm Credit Council’s young and beginning farmer programs and industry outreach, emphasized the importance of supporting FFA at every level, from funding individual grants to helping FFA members learn leadership skills at the National FFA Washington Leadership Conference (WLC).
“The Farm Credit national contributions program provides Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Grants. When the FFA member is awarded a grant, we also provide a matching grant to their FFA chapter,” she said.
The Farm Credit-FFA relationship is a strategic and symbiotic fit. While FFA members, chapters, and programs receive beneficial funding from Farm Credit, Farm Credit gains visibility in a qualified candidate pool for recruiting and benefits from brand recognition with future customers.
Brian Cavey, senior vice president of government affairs and knowledge exchange at CoBank — one of Farm Credit’s four funding banks — represents Farm Credit Council on the National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ Board. Cavey knows firsthand how FFA membership can be advantageous in a young person’s life.
Brian Cavey
Cavey was an FFA member and served as Montana FFA state president from 1981-82. Before his career in legislative affairs, he was an agriculture educator and FFA advisor.
“The Washington Leadership Conference experience, as an FFA member, helped shape my interest in agriculture policy and understand its impact on rural America,” Cavey said.
At a recent meeting, Thompson shared personal thank-you notes from FFA SAE Grant recipients with the Farm Credit Council directors, confirming that hearing from those young people was meaningful and much appreciated.
“Farm Credit is proud to support the future generation of agriculture as a Platinum partner of the National FFA. Having personally been impacted positively by FFA, I appreciate working for an institution that supports this program to benefit our future ag leaders,” Cavey said.
In addition to SAE Grants and WLC, Farm Credit is committed to FFA through its funding support for the New Century Farmer Conference and National FFA Convention & Expo, and its fundraising efforts on Give FFA Day. Farm Credit institutions also champion various FFA programs, including CoBank, which supports the Living to Serve platform.
“There is nothing more heartwarming than FFA members’ gratitude toward Farm Credit for its commitment to their journey in agriculture,” Cavey said.
