'Working Together: Farmer and Lender Webinar’ provides tips to navigate 2017 and beyond

Good communication between farmers and their lenders has always been important, but the current agricultural economy makes the strength of that relationship critical to sustainability.  To help foster and grow farmer-banker relationships, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) and the Iowa Bankers Association (IBA) have partnered to present ‘Working Together: Farmer and Lender Webinar’ on Wednesday, March 8 at 1:00 p.m., as part of the IFBF Margin Management Webinar Series.   

The future outlook for the ag economy is foggy, and high production costs coupled with commodity volatility makes this a very challenging time for both farmers and lenders.  This collaborative IFBF webinar is designed to give tips to help navigate 2017 and plan for the future. 

“Ultimately, lenders should be considered a strategic advisor for farmers, as they work to help the operation survive and thrive,” says Ed Kordick, IFBF commodity services manager. “We hope participants take the opportunity to pick up some tips on growing the relationship with their banker to truly maximize the resources and opportunities available.”

Kim Greenland, senior vice president of City State Bank and Mount Ayr branch manager, will speak about the communication between lender and farmer and the expectations lenders have.  Robert Hartwig, legal counsel and ag committee staff liaison with the Iowa Bankers Association, will also share his insights to help farmers understand challenges that lenders face. 

“We are excited to partner with Farm Bureau to help assist Iowa farm producers with understanding lender expectations during this economic cycle.  IBA members are always focused on their customers’ success and the overall goal of building wealth in their farm operations, no matter what economic conditions persist,” said Bob Hartwig, IBA Legal Counsel.          

Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions during the webinar.  Participants can register in advance or join the live webinar as a guest a few minutes prior to the 1:00 p.m. start time.  At any time before the event, participants can test their computer’s ability to participate. 

For questions or more information, contact Kordick at ekordick@ifbf.org or 515-255-5433.