For who you are. For what you do. Discover the FCS Financial Focused. Customized. Solutions.™ approach to service. It’s our way of bringing the right resources to you to make your business successful. Managing your business risk not only depends on having a variety of products that offer the best protection but the right person to provide accurate information and follow through. The Commercial Farmer Team at FCS Financial is ready with the expertise you need to make sound decisions.
Photos and story by Mark Parker
Quality Cattle, crops — and credit
Terry Ecker has a global agricultural perspective but his production focus is finely tuned to the hillsides and bottom ground of northwest Missouri. That’s where he and his wife, Susan, grow crops and cattle with Terry’s parents, Gary and Joyce Ecker. Ecker Farms at Elmo, Mo., spans 3500 acres with about 1500 acres in crops and the rest in forage to support a 280-cow commercial herd. Calves are retained through a backgrounding program that grows them to 800 pounds on a corn silage, ground hay and wet distillers grain ration. The quality of Ecker cattle recently earned the family the American Salers Association Commercial Producer of the Year award. From forage to genetics, quality is part of a business strategy as well as a family tradition. The importance of that production attitude was reinforced for Terry during a stint on the United Soybean Board and its international marketing committee. “I came to better appreciate the fact that value chain of the food system doesn’t end at the elevator or the sale barn,” Terry explains. “Producing a good product — having an appreciation for quality — is just part of the operation.” That appreciation for quality extends to his lender, FCS Financial. “FCS Financial is ag friendly,” says Terry who has a degree in ag economics from MU. “They’ve been a blessing to us. I didn’t realize what I was missing until I moved my business to Farm Credit — and it’s just gotten better ever since.” Terry values FCS’ financial expertise, agricultural knowledge and educational opportunities as well as the personal relationships he has built with FCS Financial professionals. And then there’s the service FCS Financial provides as well. “They understand how busy it gets on the farm and they’re always willing to come to us. They’re always looking out for me,” he says. “Good financial products, ag expertise and a commitment to Missouri farmers — that’s a tough combination to beat.”
using credit as a tool to grow
Faith, family and farming — that’s what life is all about for Herb and Beth Schnitker of Middletown, Mo. The first two are the top priorities but the third is intricately woven into the fabric of their lives. “Farming is in his blood,” Beth says with a smile. “Mine, too.” “We enjoy the life and the challenges it brings,” Herb adds. “God has blessed us.” Along with their daughters, 12-year old Larna and 10-year old Lucy, the Schnitkers operate 3,400 acres of cropland and 300 commercial cows. Along with cash crop corn, soybeans and wheat, the family produces seed wheat, seed beans and alfalfa. With significant capital requirements, volatile markets and complex decision-making, the family relies of FCS Financial for expertise that goes beyond credit. “Gary Wrye in the Mexico office has been an excellent sounding board on expansion and future plans,” Herb notes. “The decisions are ours but FCS Financial helps us make better decisions. And, they’ve been there for us in good times and bad.” The Schnitkers are financially conservative but they also know there’s a cost to not seizing opportunities. Recent grain storage expansion, including a continuous flow dryer and wet holding tank, will facilitate timely harvest and reduce crop risk as well as increasing market options, for example. “We’re conservative but we see credit as an important tool in the operation,” Herb says. The Schnitkers value the service they receive from FCS Financial and are particularly appreciative of educational opportunities offered by their ag lender. “We want to learn and grow and FCS helps us do that,” Beth explains. The family is active in the Grace Lutheran Church and both girls are enthusiastic 4-H members with homegrown calves headed for the fair. “We have a lot invested and it’s more than dollars,” Herb says. “It’s about fitting together the goals of faith, family and farming.”
Taking care of business
Danny Ball considers himself a small businessman but, like many professional farmers, the diversity and scale of his operation would dwarf many Main Street enterprises. With the productive soils near Jasper, Ball focuses on corn, wheat and double crop soybeans. With the help of farm personnel, he also does some custom work, runs a commercial cowherd and manages a seed business in addition to taking care of the farm’s trucking. Across 3,000 acres, the strategy is optimizing farm business productivity. “We try to jump right on new technologies and I think it’s paid off,” Danny says. “It’s a riskreward situation but we try to push the envelope by using top seed genetics, the practices that allow them to produce to their optimum potential and the equipment it takes to get the job done.” With the volatility in today’s agriculture, Danny counts on a steady and solid credit source and FCS Financial ably fills that role. “They’re farmer focused and easy to work with,” he says. “They know my operation and know what to expect. I’ve relied on them for a long time — it seems like we’ve grown together.” “FCS Financial has been nothing but good for me,” he adds. “They have sharp people, competitive rates and financial expertise we take advantage of. The spreadsheets and debt-to-asset ratios they provide us are always informative and I get a lot out of their winter educational meetings — they help you stay up to speed on what’s going on in the world that can affect your business.” Danny and his wife, Lori, have a daughter, Sasha and her husband, Matt, as well as a son, Leighton, who is part of the business. With the ever-increasing complexities of farming, Danny Ball deals with dynamic problems and potentialities every day but they are challenges he faces eagerly. “There are always a lot of factors to consider for both production and financial decisions but, like a lot of farmers, I’m optimistic — I’m always excited about the next crop,” he says.
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