A Renewed Commitment to Young and Beginning Farmers
The future of Missouri agriculture is being cultivated by a new generation of producers, a group that faces a unique and complex set of challenges. To empower these young and beginning farmers, FCS Financial is proud to announce a significant expansion of our Connect program, a renewed commitment designed to provide the specific tools, capital, and community they need to build successful, sustainable operations.
A Legacy of Service, An Evolving Mission
A common question members ask is, "Did FCS Financial have a young, beginning program before?" The answer is a resounding yes. As a Farm Credit cooperative, our mission to serve the credit needs of young and beginning farmers has been a part of our identity since the amended Farm Credit Act of 1971 officially tasked us with this goal.
For decades, this commitment was centered on providing essential access to capital. However, as the agricultural landscape shifted, it became clear that simply loaning money was not the only solution needed. In 2015, FCS Financial launched the first iteration of the Connect program, our solution to serve young and beginning borrowers beyond just the loan. The program combined reduced credit standards with critical educational components. After nearly a decade of success and a recognition that this holistic model truly worked, FCS Financial set out to expand Connect at the direction of our members and board. A dedicated committee spent nearly two years auditing the existing program, reviewing feedback from producers, and talking with staff to develop the new, enhanced program available today.
Understanding Today's Agricultural Hurdles
The decision to expand Connect was driven by a deep understanding of the modern pressures facing new farmers. The cost of doing business has soared; land, machinery, and livestock require significantly more capital than they did two decades ago. This isn't just relative inflation—available land is scarcer and exists in a much more competitive market, making it difficult for newcomers to gain a foothold.
Beyond capital, farming has become an incredibly complex business. Today’s producers are not only farmers but also the CEOs, CFOs, and COOs of their operations. They must navigate global competition, compressed margins, marketing decisions, tax implications, and ever-changing technology. This complexity is compounded by the sheer hard work and the difficulty of finding reliable labor.
Perhaps one of the heaviest and least-discussed burdens is the loneliness that can accompany a career in agriculture. With a smaller percentage of the population directly involved in farming, the built-in community of previous generations has dwindled. This can lead to a sense of isolation for farmers and their families, who often work long hours while their peers in other careers enjoy more flexibility.
A New Toolkit for a New Generation of Farmers
The expanded Connect program is designed to directly address these challenges with a multi-faceted approach. It starts with providing accelerated and responsible access to capital. Connect continues to use reduced credit standards with even more flexibility, recognizing that new producers are at a different stage in their financial journey.
Perhaps the most monumental shift is the launch of three new loan products, each targeted at a specific financial barrier:
- Connect Down Payment: This loan is designed to help a young or beginning producer with the down payment for a real estate purchase, one of the largest hurdles to getting started.
- Connect Infusion: This loan can correct working capital after a farm purchase, during an expansion, or through a transition period, such as moving to organic production.
- Connect Foundation: This loan offers young borrowers up to 100% financing on breeding livestock or equipment, allowing them to get started months or even years sooner than they might have been able to otherwise.
More Than a Loan: The Power of Community and Education
While these financial tools are critical, the program’s ethos remains focused on serving members beyond the loan. The true value is often found in the education and community that Connect provides—a sentiment echoed by its members.
The opportunity to build a strong peer network is a major draw. As Mason Kiehl of Connect Class 4 shared, “To have the opportunity to hear all of these great speakers and to expand our network as much as we have wasn’t something we could say no to.”
This network becomes a circle of trust where producers can learn and grow together. The program’s educational offerings, from the Connect Onboarding email campaign to the annual Connect Ag Seminar and the more in-depth Connect 30 class, are designed for immediate, practical application. For Bethany Prenger, a member of Connect Class 4, this relevance is key. “The Connect speakers and guests are relevant to you,” she says. “I feel like after every class we go home and say, ‘OK we can do this or we can apply this.’”
Ultimately, this combination of resources empowers producers to think strategically about the future. For Jake Anderson, also in Connect Class 4, this forward-thinking approach is invaluable. “One of the biggest benefits of the Connect program is learning more about estate planning, or how to navigate things that we are not necessarily going through today but will be in the future.”
By pairing responsible capital with essential business education and a strong peer community, the expanded Connect program provides a holistic foundation for success, ensuring the next generation of Missouri farmers is ready to thrive.
