Farm Credit to elect four directors

Ag Co-op Elections being held this fall

Louisville, KY (September 22, 2008) – Nine farmers have been nominated to fill four Board of Director positions at Farm Credit Services of Mid-America (FCS), one of the largest ag lending cooperatives in the nation serving farmers and agribusinesses throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee.  Over 58,000 voting stockholders of FCS will elect members of the board through mail in ballots during the cooperative’s annual elections. Ballots were mailed last week and results will be announced October 10 when a committee meets to tabulate the results.

The board is comprised of 16 elected directors - four from each state that the association serves.  Two independent directors also serve on the board.  Board members meet monthly to set policy and provide overall direction for the association.  Board terms are generally four years.

On the same ballot, voting stockholders will elect members to the 2009 FCS Nominating Committee. This committee is comprised of 20 members – five members from each state the association serves.  Representatives of the Nominating Committee will meet next June to select candidates for the 2009 elected positions.

The nine board candidates (two from the states of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana and three from Tennessee) are as follows:

Indiana

Kevin Cox of Brazil, Indiana, is a full time farmer with 705 acres owned and 2,800 leased where he raises corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and straw. Additionally, he finishes 100 feeder cattle annually. He is president of TST Farms, Inc., TST Trucking and TST LLC.  Kevin is currently serving as director for the Parke County REMC, chair of the Farm Bureau Political Actions Committee and president of the Parke County Farm Bureau Board. Additionally, he won the Indiana Farm Bureau State Young Farmers Discussion Meet and competed at the national level. He is a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and music and choir director for Calvary Baptist Church in Brazil. He is a graduate of Van Buren High School.  He and his wife, Brenda, have three children: Trent, Sara and Trisha. Kevin has been an FCS member since the mid-1980s.

Bert Holsapple of Orleans, Indiana, is a full time farmer. In partnership with his sons, they own 1,265 acres and lease an additional 1,475 acres where they raise corn, soybeans, wheat and hay and have a 75 cow-beef herd.  He currently serves as president of the Orange County REMC. He is a member of the Lost River Baptist Church, the Farm Bureau and the Masonic Lodge and served two years in the Army. Bert was selected Indiana Master Farmer by Indiana Prairie Farmer Magazine in 2004. He is a graduate of Orleans High School. He and his wife, Ruth, have two children. Bert currently serves as a FCS director where he has served as a member of the Audit Committee.  Prior to serving as director, he was a member of the Huntingburg FCS advisory committee.

Kentucky

Steve Bolinger of Pembroke, Kentucky, is a full time grain farmer and operates under a partnership, Bolinger Farms.  He owns 900 acres and leases an additional 2,100 acres. Steve is a director for the Kentucky Farm Bureau, the Kentucky Soybean Association and the Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board.  He graduated from Hopkinsville High School and attended Hopkinsville Community College. He and his wife, Mona, have three children: Bradley, Kyle and Lucas. Steve is a member of the Hopkinsville FCS Advisory Committee.

Jimmy Mays of Scottsville, Kentucky, owns 194 acres and leases an additional 145 acres where he raises registered Angus cattle.  He is a member of the Allen County Beef Club and the American Angus Association. Jimmy is a graduate of Allen County High School. He and his wife, Dawn, have two children, Jason and Jessica.  Jimmy is currently serving as director for Farm Credit. He is a past member of the Farm Credit Council.  He is also a former member of the FCS nominating committee. 

Ohio

Rusty Goebel of Stryker, Ohio, is a full time farmer who operates a 1,600-acre corn, soybean, wheat, and livestock operation.  He finishes 3,000 hogs and 50 steers annually. Rusty is president of Stryker Farmers Co-op Board and is a member of the Producers Livestock, the Ohio Farm Bureau, the Stryker Area Chamber of Commerce and First Lutheran Church. He is also a trustee of the Springfield Township.  He and his wife, Sue, have two children:  Lucas and Jackie.  Rusty is a member of the Archbold Advisory Committee.

Bill Patterson of Chesterland, Ohio, owns 150 acres and serves as vice president and manager of Patterson Farms, Inc., an operation which direct markets apples, strawberries and peaches. He also operates a wholesale cider operation. He is a board member and trustee of the Geauga County Farm Bureau. Bill received his bachelors of science from The Ohio State University. He and his wife, Mindy, have one son, Sam. Bill currently serves as a director for Farm Credit and is a member of the Audit Committee and District Farm Credit Council.

Tennessee

Donald Blankenship of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is a full time farmer raising vegetables, hay and row crops on 1,200 acres.  He also has 200 beef cattle. He is a county director for the Farm Bureau and is past vice president for the Tennessee Young Farmers and Ranchers. He is a secretary-treasurer of Mid-States Produce and a member of the Farmers Co-op. He received his bachelor of science in agribusiness from Middle Tennessee State University.  He and his wife, Alicia, reside in Murfreesboro. Donald is a member of the Lebanon Advisory Committee and was a member of the 2007 Nominating Committee.

John Collins of Greeneville, Tennessee, owns 150 acres and leases an additional 30 acres where he raises dairy replacement heifers and hay.  He became a full time farmer after retiring as vice president of Dairy Farmers of America. He serves as director for Greene Farmers Cooperative and is a member of the Tennessee Farm Bureau.  John received his bachelor of science and masters from the University of Tennessee. He and his wife, Sharon, have two children: John II and J.J.  John has been a Farm Credit member since the 1970s.

Bob Willis of Hillsboro, Tennessee, is a full time farmer and is president of Willis Farms, Inc.  He owns over 3,000 acres and leases an additional 1,600 acres where he grows corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. He raises about 800 heifers for the dairy industry yearly.  Bob uses the remaining pastureland with his beef herd.  He is a board member for the Tennessee Farm Bureau and a board member and vice chair for Peoples Bank and Trust in Manchester. He is also a member of several Tennessee associations including the Soybean Association, Cattlemen’s Association and Pork Producers.  He is a graduate of Coffee County High School. He and his wife, Carole, have four children. Bob is a member of the Shelbyville Advisory Committee.

About FCS:

Farm Credit Services of Mid-America is an ag lending cooperative managing over $15 billion in assets and serving over 84,500 farmers, agribusinesses and rural residents in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. The association provides loans for all farm and rural living purposes including real estate, operating, equipment and housing and related services such as crop and life insurance and vehicle, equipment and building leases. For more information about Farm Credit or the nearest FCS office, call 1-800-444-FARM (3276) or visit them on the web at www.e-farmcredit.com.