Members of the Farm Credit System are announcing a $1.1 million commitment to the Grand Farm Research and Education Initiative, which is located near Casselton, North Dakota. The Farm Credit participants include AgCountry Farm Credit Services (headquartered in Fargo, N.D.), CoBank (headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo.), Compeer Financial (headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Farm Credit Services of America (headquartered in Omaha, Neb.).
The contribution will go towards developing Grand Farm’s 140-acre Innovation Facility near Casselton. The investment in programs, which promotes ag innovation and technology to enable more efficient and productive farming, aligns with AgCountry’s mission to serve agriculture and rural America. The project hopes to have a transformative impact on the future of North Dakota and our nation’s agriculture. Additionally, in early 2022 North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announced a $10 million matching grant to Grand Farm from the North Dakota Department of Commerce to advance agriculture technology, which will be applied in-part to match this commitment.
“As we continue to look for ways to serve farmers and ranchers, we have been impressed by Grand Farms’ vigor towards technology and innovation in agriculture,” said AgCountry President and CEO Marc Knisely. “We are excited about what the collaboration will bring to the Farm Credit System and the benefits that will accrue for farmers and ranchers.”
Grand Farm is a network of growers, technologists, corporations, startups, educators, policymakers and investors working together to solve problems in agriculture with applied technology. Grand Farms’ current focus in on serving the upper Midwest but aspires to provide solutions for agriculture worldwide.
“Grand Farm’s vision of creating an ecosystem whereby all stakeholders can come together to leverage advancements in technology and find sustainable solutions in our quest to feed a growing global population is inspiring to support. American farmers are the most innovative and productive in the world and it’s vital we continue to make foundational investments in this success,” said Preston Kranz, CoBank’s regional vice president.
About AgCountry Farm Credit Services
AgCountry is a member-owned, locally-governed lending institution that provides credit and financial services to over 25,000 farmers and ranchers in portions of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. It also provides agribusiness loans and leases nationwide. The cooperative is headquartered in Fargo, N.D., manages over $12 billion in assets, and has over 700 employees. AgCountry is part of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of cooperative financial services institutions that serve rural America.
About CoBank
CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 76,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore. For more information about CoBank, visit the bank's web site at www.cobank.com.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $29.7 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.
Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial.
About Farm Credit Services of America
Farm Credit Services of America is a customer-owned financial cooperative proud to finance the growth of rural America, including the special needs of young and beginning producers. With nearly $40.4 billion in assets and $7.1 billion in members’ equity, FCSAmerica is one of the region’s leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Learn more at www.fcsamerica.com.
