Farm Credit Associations and CoBank Contribute to Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund
WICHITA, KANSAS – (December 22, 2021) The four Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, Oklahoma AgCredit, Premier Farm Credit, Farm Credit of Southern Colorado and CoBank announced their donation of $141,000 to the Kansas Livestock Foundation to aid rebuilding efforts following the recent wildfires in Central and Western Kansas.
The recent fires claimed over 400,000 acres across the state of Kansas.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by these wildfires, including our customers that lost livestock, homes, feed, equipment, fence and more,” said Kevin Swayne, President and CEO, High Plains Farm Credit. “Our Farm Credit partners appreciate the Kansas Livestock Foundation’s outreach to those in need. All of us are committed to working closely with those impacted by this disaster in the weeks and months ahead.”
“We are prioritizing Kansas farmers and ranchers’ wellbeing, as they are essential in delivering the food we all need to stay healthy and nourished,” said Curt Hudnutt, President and CEO, American AgCredit. “The work they do for agriculture is essential and we know the communities in which we live have been deeply impacted. With this fund, we hope we can come together in a powerful way to help by providing some peace of mind during this incredibly difficult time.”
“Disasters such as the recent fires impact both lives and livelihoods,” said Travis Ball, Vice President, CoBank. “While we know that recovery will take time, we hope that CoBank’s contribution, together with those of our Farm Credit partners, will help to ease some of the burden on impacted individuals, families and communities as they work to recover and rebuild."
The Kansas Livestock Foundation is the charitable arm of the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA), a Topeka-based grassroots organization of livestock producers. All donated funds will be distributed to ranchers affected by the wildfire for use in recovery and rebuilding efforts following the disaster.
About Farm Credit Associations of Kansas
The Farm Credit Associations of Kansas are patronage-paying associations, serving more than 17,000 shareholders. Farm Credit has a rich tradition in Kansas for 105 years. The Farm Credit System is comprised of borrower-owned financial institutions serving farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural communities. The four Farm Credit Associations of Kansas are: Farm Credit of Western Kansas, High Plains Farm Credit, American AgCredit, and Frontier Farm Credit. More information is available at www.farmcredit.com.
About CoBank
CoBank is a $155 billion 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 75,000 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 maintains an international representative office in Singapore.
About KLA
The Kansas Livestock Association is a trade association representing 5,700 members on legislative and regulatory issues. KLA was formed in 1894 when a group of more than 100 Flint Hills ranchers met in Emporia to discuss cattle theft problems and unreasonable railroad freight rates. Today, KLA represents the state’s multi-billion dollar cattle industry at both the state and federal levels. KLA members are involved in all segments of the livestock industry including cow-calf, feedlot, swine, dairy and sheep. Dues paid by the membership fund legislative, educational and communications activities. The Kansas Livestock Foundation is a charitable arm of KLA. Online contributions to the Kansas Livestock Foundation for the Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund, may be made at the following website, https://www.kla.org/affiliates/kansas-livestock-foundation/donations. More information about KLA is available at www.kla.org.