Farm Credit Council promotes lending system
dedicated to improved quality of farm life

he Farm Credit Council (FCC), based in Washington, D.C., is the national trade association of the Farm Credit System and represents the system’s legislative and regulatory interests, as well as providing a wide range of business services to Farm Credit institutions. The Farm Credit System’s mission is to maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm, through constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and advice, and a feeling of partnership with our customers.

Council membership is comprised of five district Farm Credit Councils and five Farm Credit banks, whose membership in turn, comes from nearly 100 direct lending associations across the country. The cooperative associations and banks in the Farm Credit System are owned by the member borrowers. Together, they are the leading lender to agricultural producers and rural businesses and communities. Through the national network of lending institutions, the Farm Credit System:

Provides more than $93 billion in loans and manages over $116 billion of total assets;
With more than $18.9 billion in capital, Farm Credit has the strength to ensure that agricultural producers and others in rural America have a constant source of competitively priced credit in good times and bad;
As a customer-owned organization, Farm Credit returned more than $365 million in cash distributions and patronage dividends to our customer-owners in 2003.
Knowing the difficulties faced by young, beginning and small farmers, Farm Credit takes seriously its obligation to assist the next generation of agriculturists. In 2003, the System had $11.5 billion in loans benefiting farmers age 35 or younger; $16.9 billion in loans that benefit beginning producers who have 10 years experience or less; and $28.6 billion in loans to small producers with less than $250,000 in annual gross sales of agricultural products.
With five banks, nearly 100 lending institutions and more than 1,000 branch locations, Farm Credit is in the communities and areas of our more than 450,000 customer-owners.

The Farm Credit Council was established in 1983 to provide an effective voice with the U.S. Congress and government agencies on farm credit issues. The structure for developing positions on legislative issues is provided by the district councils. The process begins with the farmer-directors of the member organizations.

The Farm Credit Council is governed by a 23 member board that implements the Council’s public policy positions. The current board chairman is M. Wayne Lambertson, a poultry and crop producer from Pocomoke City, Md. Under the direction of the board, Kenneth E. Auer, President and CEO, coordinates and directs the daily affairs of the Council, carried out through its Washington-based staff. Council funding comes from dues assessed to its member organizations.

The Council’s mission is to enhance the political effectiveness of the membership and their member institutions, and in doing so, the Council centers its attention on legislative, governmental and regulatory issues that affect agricultural credit. The Council staff maintains close liaison with government agencies such as the Farm Credit Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and with Farm Credit System standing committees, among others.

As a regular part of its operation, the Council serves as a conduit of information from Washington to its membership, and serves to inform Congress and government agencies on the views of its members.

Contact information: website: www.fccouncil.com; phone: (202) 879-0854; address: 50 F Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, D.C. 20001. President and CEO: Kenneth E. Auer; Chairman: M. Wayne Lambertson.

May/June Table of Contents

Farm Credit Council promotes lending system dedicated to improved quality of farm life

Farm Credit Council promotes lending system
dedicated to improved quality of farm life