Written by Joann Pipken; Photos by Elise Luebbering.
No doubt, Terry Ecker knows farming. But the veteran crop grower and cattle producer also knows people are just as important in helping his operation thrive.
That’s why Ecker has spent a lifetime cultivating relationships that help him not only grow his farm business but also allow him to give back to the industry and community that provide his life-bread.
Setting The Stage
Pointing to a hillside off in the distance, Ecker sights in the spot where his great, great grandfather settled in the late 1800s. He shifts focus to another location on the horizon where his grandfather and father were both raised. Finally, he names a house next to some grain bins where he lived with his parents until about the age of 10.
“Then, we moved into Elmo because they didn’t like being on a mud road,” Ecker quips.
Yet, the Eckers would continue to farm the family land in the Nodaway County countryside on the outskirts of the tiny village. Barely a mile south of the Iowa state line, Ecker and his wife, Susan, carry out a farm legacy and lifetime of service as deeply rooted as the crops that line the northwest Missouri countryside.
Growing up on the family farm outside of Elmo in the 1970s, Ecker’s mom insisted the young lad attend college. He took the advice, earning a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri.
Fresh out of college in 1986, the relationships Ecker formed then began to help him chart a course for the future. He worked for a cattle industry business for a time, before an old fraternity brother sought him out for a position at Farm Credit Services, today’s FCS Financial. Ecker worked in northeast Missouri for a couple of years before heading back to Elmo and the family farm in March 1989.
“My dad was a great farmer, and he was very patient,” Ecker says. “We didn’t focus on one thing. When I first came back to the farm, we were still finishing hogs. Then we quit that and focused more on cattle, built the herd up, raised corn and soybeans.”
Over the years, maintaining diversity in the farm business has been key, Ecker says. Today, the operation includes a spring-calving cowherd made up of Red Angus and Saler cows, as well as corn, soybeans and hay production. Ecker also purchases lightweight feeder calves to graze and resell.
“(Being diverse) is crucial right now,” Ecker says. “The cattle market is phenomenal, and it’s making up for the low commodity prices. We have ground that’s marginal, that’s great for grazing, not so great for row crops. Having that income (from the calves) to offset when crop prices are down (helps our bottom line).”
To further diversify his farm business, Ecker invested in ethanol and biodiesel plants. The move helps his farm business and boosts the local economy.
“They’ve been great investments because you’re getting dividends on one side, and it saved the corn market in our area,” Ecker explains. “We are so far from the terminal. Once we got the ethanol plants, that just made a world of difference on our corn price.”
Finding A Partner
Ecker is a third-generation FCS Financial customer having been recognized by FCS Financial’s legacy borrower program, Legacy with FCS Financial. Both Ecker’s parents and grandparents were FCS Financial customers.
According to Ecker, the agricultural lender has been a true lifesaver for his operation. When he first started farming, he needed a lender that understood the inherit risks of agriculture and would help him grow his operation.
“I am grateful to work with FCS Financial not only on my lending needs, but they also provide services for crop insurance,” Ecker notes. “I have taken advantage of attending seminars and conferences that allow me to network with past friends and to expand my knowledge in agriculture.”
He continues, “Having a lender that provides education and (allows me to) take constructive thinking outside the box helps me mitigate risks in the marketplace and find solutions to long term success.”
For Ecker, FCS Financial and his loan officer have felt like a partner in his farm business. “The subjects we discuss, whether it’s my family’s heritage or interest risks in the marketplace, help my operation be better,” he notes.
“One more thing that is important to me is giving back to the community,” Ecker says. “FCS Financial is great at giving back to the community. Their employees are involved in clubs and organizations in the region. FCS Financial directly helped my town in a Foundation Grant to construct a community building. These are important to me in my community.”
Over the years, the partnership with FCS Financial has been a perfect fit for Ecker, who is the epitome of giving back whether in his hometown of Elmo or in the Missouri agriculture community.
FCS Financial works with Ecker on operating loans as well as equipment financing and land opportunities, providing rate conversions to help keep his interest costs as low as possible.
“Having a relationship with your loan officer is key because you sign the papers and you know (that loan) is there, but you don’t think about there being an opportunity (to save money later),” Ecker says of FCS Financial’s loan conversion program, a tool that allows customers to adjust an interest product.
FCS Financial’s Chad McCollough explains, “FCS Financial’s diverse loan products offer opportunities for members to use a tool called interest rate conversions. The action provides a juncture to adjust member interest rate products on individual loans. In various situations the action can be as simple as lowering the fixed rate because something adjusted in the global financial marketplace.”
McCollough adds that interest rate conversions do not change other details on the member’s existing loan package; liable parties remain the same and payment dates remain unchanged.
“It is a modification of the member’s interest rate product that results in an opportunity to lower the rate or extend an adjustable-rate timeframe,” McCollough says. “The action can help members take advantage of lower rates without extensive refinancing costs. The product action can also be used to move from an adjustable-rate product to a fixed-rate product based on marketplace conditions that can help mitigate some risk or modify the timeframe of the adjustable period.”
For Ecker, FCS Financial’s loan conversion program has simply helped him save interest costs by lowering his existing fixed rates while maintaining the comfort of a long-term fixed rate. He appreciates working with a lender who is willing to help him lower operating costs and is a trusted ally to help make him aware of opportunities that can provide savings opportunities — in addition to annual patronage that has been returned to him.
“FCS Financial’s loan conversion is just another example of working with a lender I trust who is looking to help customers succeed and take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace,” Ecker says.
McCollough adds that the loan conversion tool can help farmers analyze risk in the marketplace and initiate a discussion with their loan officer about appropriate interest rate risk.
“The loan conversion program does have time limitations and members should reach out to their loan officer to discuss individual opportunities,” McCollough says. “The tool is an advantage to members to modify rate products if they have changes to their risk appetite on adjustable rates or lowering the fixed-rate costs.
Paying It Forward
Ecker isn’t unlike his farmer peers. Bound by the land and the toil it brings he admits some days he just wants to drive the tractor.
Yet, Ecker knows relationships matter in today’s business of agriculture. Susan, too, realizes the true value in relationships. While she helps on the farm when she can, her contribution as a mental health counselor is a steadfast service to rural communities in southern Iowa and northern Missouri.
Whether it’s working with a local seed or equipment dealer, or input provider, Ecker covets the partnerships he creates as he continually searches for opportunities to make a difference.
A lifetime-giver of service, Ecker’s involvement in organizations like Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, and the Missouri Department of Transportation has served as an outlet for the Northwest Missouri farmer.
“Broadening your horizon and your network allows you to interact with people that have like interests,” Ecker says. “The reason I’ve done those things is, once you get out and make contacts, you learn.”
Relationship-building is hereditary for Ecker. His dad served as the mayor of Elmo for more than 30 years without pay. He also volunteered through civic groups like Lions Club and Kiwanis. His mom was active in church and community organizations, too.
“It’s not for everybody,” Ecker says of his industry involvement.
Still, being active in organizations is his way of giving back. It’s Eckers way of creating a lasting legacy.
“I’m representing (others) to try to make the industry or rural Missouri better for everybody,” Ecker notes.
Relationships often make more business sense to Ecker than economics would show on paper.
“If I wanted, I could probably shop around or (buy) online to get a (product more economical), but that little bit of savings is not worth it,” Ecker says. “The relationship is worth more than that little bit of savings.”
Having given decades of service to his Nodaway County community and Missouri agriculture, Ecker now hopes the relationships he’s cultivated over the years can help bring a positive light to others.
It’s a legacy he comes by honestly.
For Ecker, it’s all about interaction and learning, whether it’s the community out his back door or the one that binds his farm business.
“You need to be grounded somewhere,” he says. “I want to do what’s going to benefit my industry. It’s all about getting to know people and having contacts and then being able to represent rural Missouri.”
