COMMITTED TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES

One of the reasons Farm Credit East understands our customers’ credit and financial services needs is our team is involved in the communities we serve, volunteering their time and holding leadership roles in local community and industry organizations. As an organization, Farm Credit East supplements that involvement with financial support. Employee time and monetary support is such a powerful combination to support the industries we serve and the communities where we live.

— Dave Lane, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Initiatives

2022 Stewardship Contributions

Farm Credit East stewardship spans from support of agricultural organizations and community events to support of agricultural recognition programs, such as the New York State Agricultural Society and the Leopold Conservation Award Program — and everything in between.

Table Rock Farm, in Castile, N.Y., was the 2021 recipient of the New York Leopold Conservation Award. An 1,800acre farm growing corn and alfalfa to feed a herd of 1,150 dairy cows, the Table Rock team understands the importance of working closely with researchers to improve conservation, cows and their crops. Farm Credit East was pleased to increase its financial sponsorship of the Leopold Conservation Award in 2023 to support the program’s recognition of the important work operations like Table Rock Farm are doing to improve the industry and the environment.

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In partnership with CoBank, Farm Credit East’s funding bank, Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement has contributed more than $3 million since its inception in 1996. AgEnhancement grants support projects that promote and support the industries Farm Credit serves, youth and leadership development as well as outreach for diversity and inclusion.

Knox, Inc., a Hartford, Conn., based non-profit seeking to improve the quality of life in the city through horticulture and environmentally centered programs, is a past AgEnhancement recipient. Farm Credit East is proud to partner with Knox on its urban farming program, providing financial support and more recently supporting its successful application to the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program. As part of the grant, Farm Credit East has delivered financial management training to Knox participants as they prepare for independent farming careers. Programs like this are an important part of Farm Credit East’s diversity and inclusion outreach as they provide a pathway for new entrants in agriculture.

Lipinski Rural Initiatives Award

The Lipinski Rural Initiatives Award was established by Farm Credit East’s Board of Directors in 2020 to recognize former Farm Credit East CEO Bill Lipinski. A joint effort with CoBank, the award aims to recognize innovative and transformational efforts to revitalize Northeast rural communities. Now in its third year, the award has recognized six organizations each receiving $25,000 to support their work.

2022 recipients included Cayuga Milk Ingredients/ Cayuga Marketing, two affiliated dairy organizations, and The Foundation for Rural Service. Cayuga Milk’s award supported programs for both dairy manufacturing and farm employees, including providing opportunities for networking and to improve their knowledge and technical skills. The award to the Foundation for Rural Service, a 501(c)3 created by NCTA – The Rural Broadband Association, supported broadband access projects in the rural Northeast.

Committed to the Next Generation

From student scholarships for those in FFA and those pursuing a higher education in an agriculture-related field, to scholarships for agricultural teachers through our partnership with the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE), Farm Credit East is committed to supporting the next generation of agriculture.

In 2022, we awarded $65,000 in higher education scholarships to 38 student recipients, including three scholarships to students of diverse backgrounds; we supported 14 FFA students’ Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects; and provided $25,500 in scholarships to support 17 educators’ attendance at CASE institutes where they are provided with training and resources to teach courses in the CASE curriculum to high school students.

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In fact, Clarissa first volunteered at the encouragement of her branch manager more than a decade ago when she began serving on the county fair board. “Helping educate the community to keep a connection to agriculture is incredibly rewarding, and I’m able to complete this important work thanks to Farm Credit East’s support and flexibility.”

Farm Credit East Cares

Employees Get Involved

“Whether we are educating the community about agriculture, helping coach a little league team or serving those less fortunate, Farm Credit East has always been willing to help and support the employees willing to put forth the time,” said Senior Credit Analyst, Clarissa Kniskern.

Initiated by Farm Credit East employees in 2011, Farm Credit East Cares aims to give back to the farmers and rural communities we serve. Each year, funds are raised through the contributions of Farm Credit East employees across the organization and distributed to farm families and organizations impacted by disasters; to various Northeast charitable organizations; and to local, regional or state not-for-profit charitable organizations focused on youth involvement in agriculture or local agricultural promotion. Since the program’s inception, it has contributed more than $1 million to Northeast charitable organizations and farm families. “Being able to support our community is incredibly important to the Farm Credit East team,” said Farm Credit East Tax Specialist, Lindsay Eckman. “Farm Credit East Cares provides a great vehicle for employees to be a part of something that can have a significant impact on the communities we live in as well as those impacted by disasters across the nation. The most rewarding part is hearing from the recipients of our designated funds and how much every dollar means to them.”