Building Partnerships is Important to Success in Agriculture

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 21st Annual Joint conference of The Corn Growers Association of North Carolina, The NC Cotton Producers Association, The NC Small Grain Growers Association and The NC Soybean Producers Association. The conference was held in New Bern, NC and while it was a little chilly for New Bern, I'll have to admit it was nice to feel outside temps around the 60 degree range for a change. It was also very nice to see and talk to our members, many of which I have not seen in a while.

The theme for the conference was "Building Partnerships." Although many awards were presented to individual producers from each of the commodity groups for outstanding yield achievement; it was clear from talking to those in attendance that it takes partnerships with many people to reach these levels of success.

I was invited to participate in a panel discussion centered on "Building Partnerships," along side Wade Byrd, a Bladen County farmer; Lowell G. Taylor, a CPA from Williamston, NC; and Rick Holder, a Gas and Fertilizer supplier form Kinston, NC. It was obvious from the discussion that agriculture is a relationship business. Just as we at Carolina Farm Credit strive to transform loaning money, a transaction, into a relationship building process; it is clear that other parts of the agriculture sector also recognize the need to do the same.

The key to building relationships is to begin by building "trust," a foundation on which all mutually beneficial relationships must be built. Once trust has been established, it is critical to maintain good communications so the relationship can thrive.

At Carolina Farm Credit, our employees and directors know and understand agriculture. Our desire is to build relationships with our customers that will span generations. A critical objective is to operate and manage our business in a way that allows us to be successful and stable to ensure we are here to serve our customers in difficult economic times as well as in the good times. Our pledge is to remain a customer focused company, building long term relationships, and to continue to meet this objective.

(Above pictured L-R are Rick Holder, Wade Byrd, Mike Morton and Lowell Taylor, at right pictured L-R are Rick Holder, Wade Byrd and Mike Morton, both photos were taken during the panel discussion, photo courtesy of Jim Haskins, AgriBusiness Communications Group)

Labels: Building Relationships

I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing Thanksgiving. In spite of the current challenges with our economy, we all have so much to be thankful for. It was good to slow down a bit over the Thanksgiving holiday and take time to enjoy family, friends and reflect on our many blessings.

I know some of you are aware of the first ever Keepin' It Rural video contest that's been running in the AgFirst Farm Credit district. This contest gives you, our customers and friends, an opportunity to show us some of our favorite things about living the rural life. In other words, show us how you're keepin' it rural!

As this contest draws to an end, I've taken time to watch several of the videos submitted by customers and friends of Farm Credit. What a great group of videos we received - there's lots of talent out there! We have some very funny submissions, several with kids and families, lots of animals and some breath-taking landscape shots.

The winners have been selected and will be announced as soon as the legal folks are satisfied with signatures from all the winners. In the mean time, take a few minutes to watch some of these amazing videos. The videos will make you smile, make you laugh and make you proud you know what it means to keep it rural. http://www.ikeepitrural.com/ In addition, you'll want to fan our facebook page as we'll feature many of the videos in upcoming weeks. Carolina Farm Credit Facebook Page

Since Keepin' It Rural is about sharing what's fun and interesting about farm and country life, we've added a series of articles to the Ikeepitrural website about various issues related to that purpose. Some of the articles will be about hot-button topics while others might be about how stuff works around the farm. But, regardless of the topic, the goal is to shine a spotlight on rural America. We hope you enjoy! If you'd like to suggest a topic for us to write about, email it to us at ikeepitrural@agfirst.com

The 2nd Keepin' it Rural video contest is already underway, so get out our your cameras and start filming. You could be the $3000 winner next year!

I hope you'll slow down during the hustle and bustle of the next few weeks and reflect on the real reason we celebrate Christmas, take time to enjoy your family, friends and all that makes rural life a blessing!

Labels: Keepin' It Rural Contest Update, Mid-December

As we approach Thanksgiving, I can't miss the opportunity to tell you just how grateful I am to be part of our Carolina Farm Credit family, even as we collectively face challenging economic times.

Even with everything that life throws at us, we are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for. I would like to share something I recently heard that had an impact on me. If we are not careful we all can get caught up in our fast paced lives and simply inadvertently ignore the obvious blessing.

It went something like this: I am thankful for the taxes I pay, because it means I am employed....I am thankful for clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat(thanks to a farmer somewhere).....I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows and bathrooms that need cleaning, because it means I have a home....I am thankful for the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking.....I am thankful for the guy behind me who sings off key because, it means I can hear....I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing that needs to be done, because it means my loved ones are nearby.....And, I am thankful for the alarm clock that goes off much too early each morning, because it means I'm alive.

Please take the opportunity over the Thanksgiving holidays to slow down a little, spend time with your family and reflect on the blessings that we sometimes take for granted.

Labels: Thanksgiving Blessings