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Photos and story by Mark Parker
FARMING BEYOND THE FENCE LINE From crop genetics to sophisticated machinery, farming is more complex than ever but Kevin Fischer knows that, at its heart, agriculture is still all about people. Day-to-day, he’s usually on his own — in the tractor, feeding cattle, working on equipment. Fischer’s farm activities aren’t limited to the row crop and cow-calf operation he and his wife, Mary, have near Rockville, however. He’s also involved with the bigger picture, especially in promoting biofuels and supporting the farm organizations that represent his interests. “I’m very supportive of value-added projects especially,” he explains. “I think it’s important for farmers to become engaged with what they grow after it leaves the farm. I believe that kind of involvement is good for agriculture but it’s been good for me, too. It’s a tremendous opportunity to meet people and learn. And one of the things I’ve learned is that people are agriculture’s biggest asset.” People are also a big reason Fischer relies on FCS Financial for his credit needs. Kevin Fischer “I’ve been an FCS Financial customer for a long time and they’ve been good partners,” he says. “People like Brian Schrock, Jerry Marlay and everyone I deal with in the Clinton office have been great to work with. The terms are competitive, they understand farming and they do their best to make everything as convenient as possible.” In addition to various biofuels projects, Fischer chairs his local rural water district and is a lifetime member of the Missouri Soybean and the Missouri Corn Growers associations as well as being active in the Faith United Church of Christ. Both he and Mary are members of the Bates County Farm Bureau and Mary serves on the Missouri Farm Bureau promotion and education committee. There may be times when off-farm involvement crowds his own corn, soybean, wheat, hay and beef chores but the extra hours are an investment Kevin Fischer is willing to make. “Sometimes the pay-off is hard to see but I think all of us in farming need to realize that our operations don’t end at the property line,” he concludes.
COMBINING HARD WORK AND ENJOYMENT The Charolais cows grazing fescue and clover pastures on Bob Nimsick’s farm near Carthage require a lot of hard work. “In farming, you have to be dedicated,” he says, looking across a field dotted with newly-rolled big round bales. “You have to be willing to stay out there until the job’s done whether you’re putting up hay, working cattle or whatever.” That doesn’t mean that Nimsick’s interests begin and end at the pasture gate, though. He’s also a pilot and a beekeeper. He raises ornamental pheasants and restores antique cars. And he loves to fish and snorkel. “Well,” he smiles, “you’ve got to do the things you enjoy. Hobbies and other interests help you enjoy farming more. They give you a mental break from all the things you need to get done on the farm so when you get back to them you can focus on the job with the dedication you need to get it done. I still really enjoy the cattle and the haying just as much as those hobbies. If I didn’t I wouldn’t do it.” Farming since 1983, Nimsick can still consider putting up 300 acres of hay this summer as “fun.” Farming is definitely a business for him but it’s also a lifestyle. In either case, he’s relied on FCS Financial to help him be successful.
“I’ve been with FCS Financial since 1984,” he says. “The interest rates have always been reasonable. They’ve always been very open to what I wanted to do and have gone out of their way to make it convenient for me. “And, the people are great — I’ve always enjoyed working with the FCS Financial folks.” Enjoyment, Bob Nimsick will tell you, is an integral part of a successful farm business. “Sure there are always challenges and problems and too much to get done,” he observes, “but if you really love it, you find a way to enjoy it all.”
Aiming high for farm success For Russ Alexander, shooting for maximum yields means the best seed, the best equipment and taking the best possible care of the soil. It’s not surprising that the Hannibal grower won’t settle for less than the best when it comes to agricultural credit. “The success I’ve enjoyed has been largely due to the ability to borrow the money to finance my goals and dreams,” he says. “I’m the one who has to make it work but FCS Financial has been there every step of the way. They’re great individuals and a great company. It’s actually fun to stop Bob Nimsick there. They know me, they know agriculture, and they know credit.” Alexander Farms is a diverse business enterprise, growing corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa as well as operating a seed business and an excavating company. Although Russ strongly asserts that farming has been good to him, he acknowledges that it has become an increasingly high-stakes endeavor — “There have been some zeroes added to our inputs,” he says with a smile. It’s a business that’s been more enjoyable and more productive by being able to take advantage of new technology. “I want the best equipment — GPS, auto-steer, state-ofthe art machinery,” he says. “It makes farming more fun and, I think, provides the tools you need to get top yields and be more profitable.” Alexander’s interest in farm machinery also leans in a retro direction, though. One of his hobbies is his shining green collection of vintage John Deere tractors. Farming is a family business for Alexander. His wife, Rickey, keeps the farm’s books and even though none of his children are directly involved in the operation, family is still a motivating factor. “Now I’m working for my grandkids,” Russ explains. “It doesn’t matter that none of them will probably ever farm. The farm is still building their futures and providing them with opportunities in whatever direction they choose— and FCS Russ Alexander Financial plays a big role in accomplishing that.”
Business innovation with solid backing
Gary Ryan
At heart, Gary Ryan is a farmer, someone who manages soil and sunlight to create a product that didn’t previously exist. He does that every day at Shady Brook Farm near Fulton where a herd of commercial Angus cows add value to fescue and clover to produce beef for America’s dinner table. So it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to know that he also transforms landfill-bound plastic into a useful, environmentally friendly product. At Ryan Enterprises, Gary and his brother, Ken, take recycled plastic and manufacture solid fence posts and landscape timbers. “It’s a product that takes recycling full circle,” Gary says. “These posts are great for farmers because they’ll never rot, you can nail and steeple into them, and you can have an electric fence with no insulators required. They’re black to prevent UV ray penetration
and you can use them to electrify a whole steel pipe panel corral.” The shred-grind-extrude process Ryan uses to create posts is unique because of the ability to utilize multiple plastics, some which normally don’t have enough value to pull from the waste stream. Farming and manufacturing are both knowledge-based businesses so it’s only natural that Ryan counts on financial insight from his lender. “The worst scenario for a farmer seeking credit is to have to explain his business,” says Ryan who has been a FCS Financial customer for 40 years, including during the development of the plastic manufacturing business he started in 1996. “The people at FCS Financial truly understand farming. They’re easy to work with and they have common sense as well as knowledge. I’m sure it’s easy to find lenders who understand credit but knowing credit and farming? That’s what FCS Financial gives me.” “This isn’t Anybank USA,” he concludes. “This is an organization of knowledgeable people and I think any farmer appreciates working with folks like that.”
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