Ag Biz Planner & Ag Biz Basics Program Participants Announced
STATESVILLE, NC – Carolina Farm Credit is excited to announce that participants for the Ag Biz Planner and Ag Biz Basics courses have been selected. The Ag Biz Planner and Ag Biz Basics courses offer financial and business planning curriculums which include budgeting, completing financial statements, business management, and other topics essential to a farm’s success. Each participant or participating pair will work with an experienced Carolina Farm Credit Lender mentor throughout the program.
Ag Biz Planner participants or participating pairs:
Vishal & Neetu Patil of Concord, NC, are being mentored by Danelle Cutting, Lender in the Salisbury branch. They are beginning farmers looking to expand their knowledge of seasonal vegetables and more.
Michael & Amy Foschetti from Charlotte, NC, will be mentored by Miranda Tallent, a Lender from Carolina Farm Credit’s Lincolnton branch. Michael and Amy are beginning farmers looking to produce timber and raise bees.
Stephen & Natalie Bishop from Shelby, NC, will be mentored by Brian Drum, Lender from Carolina Farm Credit’s Shelby Branch. Stephen and Natalie are looking to expand their bee and honey operation.
Thomas & Brenda Anderson of Goldsboro, NC will be mentored by Lender Wanda Harris from Carolina Farm Credit’s Browns Summit branch. The Andersons have a small watermelon and pumpkin operation that they hope to expand in the future.
Michael & Jacqueline Stevens from Conover, NC, will be mentored by Lender Rex Thompson from the Conover branch of Carolina Farm Credit. The couple produces hay, corn, and livestock on their small farm.
Ashley & Williams Graham from Whispering Pines, NC, will be mentored by Lender Aaron Ayers from the Carthage branch of Carolina Farm Credit. Ashley and Williams have a small pecan and fruit tree farming operation. They are looking to expand their farm to include larger crops.
Tina & Joseph Angott of Moravian Falls, NC, are being mentored by Daniel Denny, Lender in the Wilkesboro branch. They are beginning farmers who grow cut flowers, vegetables, and herbs, with plans to expand into agritourism.
Ag Biz Basics participants or participating pairs:
Dakota & Landon Marshall of Tega Cay, SC, are being mentored by Wes Smith, Lender from Carolina Farm Credit’s Monroe branch. The Marshalls are beginning and small farmers looking to gain agricultural finance knowledge for starting their farm.
Corey & Jenna Deibel of Carthage, NC, are being mentored by Aaron Ayers, Lender from Carolina Farm Credit’s Carthage branch. Corey and Jenna produce timber and hay, with hopes of expanding their farm to include additional crops in the future.
Jennifer & Anthony Buchanan from Burnsville, NC, are being mentored by Jeremy Ballard, Lender from Carolina Farm Credit’s Burnsville branch. They are beginning and small farmers looking to gain agricultural finance knowledge for starting their farm.
Katherine & Brendan Love of Hurdle Mills, NC, are being mentored by Carey Owens, Lender in Carolina Farm Credit’s Graham branch. They are looking to gain knowledge to help expand their farm into an agritourism and retreat center.
“This year’s selected Ag Biz Planner and Basics participants have diverse agricultural backgrounds. This program will allow them to examine their operations and find areas for improvement. This program is just another way that Carolina Farm Credit helps support agriculture and our local communities,” said Carolina Farm Credit CEO Vance Dalton.
Carolina Farm Credit is offering these two Farm Credit University on-line courses in conjunction with the Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia including AgCarolina Farm Credit, Cape Fear Farm Credit, Farm Credit of the Virginias, and Colonial Farm Credit. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with producers from these other associations throughout the program. They will also be able to network with all participants at a conference at the conclusion of the program in Raleigh, NC.
Farm Credit’s e-learning courses target young, beginning, small, minority, and/or veteran farmers throughout the state. Highlights of the program include modules that cover business and personal financial planning, understanding income statements, cash flow, and the smart use of credit on the farm. Each participant in the more in-depth Ag Biz Planner course will have completed a business plan for their operation by the conclusion of the class.
Carolina Farm Credit is a stockholder-owned cooperative that provides financing to full and part-time farmers, agricultural-related businesses, and for the construction and purchase of homes in 54 counties through 29 branch offices. Appraisal and Leasing services are also available.
For over 100 years, Farm Credit has been supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.
Carolina Farm Credit serves over 12,000 members with outstanding loans totaling more than $1.9 billion. The cooperative’s territory covers the western half of North Carolina, with branch offices located in Albemarle, Asheboro, Asheville, Browns Summit, Burnsville, Carthage, Conover, Ellerbe, Graham, Hendersonville, Jefferson, Lenoir, Lexington, Lincolnton, Monroe, Murphy, Pilot Mountain, Roxboro, Rural Hall, Salisbury, Shelby, Siler City, Sparta, Spindale, Statesville, Taylorsville, Wilkesboro, Yadkinville, and Yanceyville.
Directors for Carolina Farm Credit are Vickie N. Smitherman, Chair, East Bend; D. Kaleb Rathbone, Vice-Chair, Waynesville; John M. Barnard, Statesville; E. Bernard Beck, Seagrove; W. Rex Bell, Statesville; Mark A. Bray, Lawsonville; Andrew W. Burleson, New London; David M. Coltrane, Pleasant Garden; Dan A. Hunsucker, Conover; Joseph A. Lail, Shelby; J. Eric McPherson, Snow Camp; Clark M. Newlin, Haw River; Leslie G. Sparks, DVM, Sparta; L. Kim Starnes, Salisbury; Dr. Alton Thompson, Summerfield.