It has been said that good organizations focus on doing things right, while great organizations focus on doing the right things. This is an important distinction that helps explain the difference Farm Credit makes in rural communities and agriculture.

As a true cooperative, a Farm Credit lender is an extension of the borrower’s operation, in which the borrower has ownership rights and privileges. As a result, Farm Credit’s purpose is to help its members be successful. We do that by providing reliable access to much-needed capital, and then distributing annual earnings back to borrowers because they are the stockholders.  

Although Farm Credit is certainly focused on doing things right — operating in a safe and sound manner while striving to grow the organization’s assets and profitability — the benefit of these efforts flows not to the institution or its leadership, but to the individual borrowers who co-own the cooperative and have a vested interest in its success. In brief, Farm Credit is focused on doing the right things.

For example, Farm Credit Bank of Texas, which produces this publication on behalf of its affiliated retail lenders throughout a five-state service territory, returned 79 percent of its 2017 earnings to its owners and other patrons. Remaining earnings are reinvested in the future and retained to ensure appropriate levels of liquidity and capital. The cooperative business model, when focused on the right things, enables Farm Credit to make a difference in the lives of customer-owners and the rural communities where they live and work.

By operating a high-quality organization that helps people in agriculture and rural communities live their dreams and be successful, Farm Credit is accomplishing its mission, adding value to the marketplace and leading by example.

Like the Farm Credit System as a whole, this Landscapes magazine is all about supporting the Farm Credit mission, adding value and leading by example. Now in its 20th year, Landscapes is a model of cooperation and partnership among Farm Credit lending co-ops throughout Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. Its publication and distribution is intended purely to share Farm Credit stories; to inspire, inform and educate its readers; and to project the quality and professionalism of the cooperative organization it represents. 

For 20 years, Landscapes has been a portrait of people living and working in rural America. It is a reflection of those who play an often-unsung yet critical role in our nation and around the globe. By focusing on the right things, Landscapes has been recognized many times at the regional and national levels for its distinction and high quality.

Farm Credit is privileged to be a part of this community, and remains focused on making a positive difference in support of those who make a difference in the world.

–Stan Ray