More Than Loans for Land and Livestock - ArborOne Farm Credit

ArborOne Farm Credit is the cover story for the February Issue of the Greater Pee Dee Business Journal. In an in-depth article by Dan McCue accompanied by Benton Henry's photographs, ArborOne and its employees are introduced to readers.

President and CEO Jack Shuler is quoted, "Everyone here is dedicated to serving rural America..." And that is just what ArborOne Farm Credit does.

To read this article and view the pictures, please follow this link.

Bright Forecast Predicted for ArborOne Farm Credit Customers

Florence, SC (December 7, 2009) – ArborOne Farm Credit, an agricultural lending cooperative, today announced the retirement of $1.39 million of the 2001 Surplus held by the company to be paid to its member-customers. ArborOne Farm Credit is forecasting over $4 million in net earnings for 2009.

As a member of the Farm Credit System, ArborOne is a member-owned cooperative which means our customers are our owners. We return a percentage of our profits to our member-customers through patronage refunds. The ability to pay these patronage refunds is a key indicator of the financial strength of ArborOne Farm Credit. Patronage has been paid every year since 1988. A portion of this patronage is paid in cash and the balance, or surplus, is left on account to capitalize the association. The revolvement of $1.39 million in Surplus represents the balance held from 2001.

"The downturn in the general economy impacted the entire financial industry this year and as such we were not immune, however our earnings are better than we anticipated earlier in the year," said ArborOne Farm Credit President Jack Shuler. "The association remains financially strong, weathering this economic storm and has credit available to farmers, agricultural business owners, landowners and other rural borrowers."

About ArborOne Farm Credit
ArborOne Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by its member-borrowers. It provides farm loans for land, equipment, livestock and production; recreational property loans; crop insurance; and rural home mortgages. It is part of the national Farm Credit System, a network of financial cooperatives established in 1916 to provide a dependable source of credit to farmers and rural America. ArborOne covers the twelve counties of the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. For more information, visit www.ArborOne.com.

2009 Co-op Conference

The 2009 Cooperative Educational Conference for Couples was held June 26-28, at Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island and was enjoyed by all in attendance. Mr. and Mrs. Justin Boyce of Bishopville, SC, attended as the couple representing ArborOne Financial, they had "a great time."

This conference is an opportunity for couples to learn more about the different cooperative businesses in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Even more valuable is meeting other couples and cooperative leaders; being able to share ideas and strengthen relationships with the co-ops they do business with. Over thirty couples were sponsored and in attendance from Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Encounter sessions are held by Farm Credit, Dairy Farmers of America, Southern States and Electric Cooperatives. During the sessions, the economic and service benefits of cooperatives are discussed as well as how cooperatives differ from other corporations. Questions are answered and ideas shared as more is learned about each co-op. As a member of the Farm Credit System, ArborOne Financial participated in the Farm Credit encounter session presentations.

Another great learning experience for the couples is the Board Stumpers. Divided into seven groups, each "Board" is given a cooperative Board of Directors’ problem to solve. They may either use one of the suggested solutions or come up with their own. Since these are random groups, there may be representatives from several different professions: farmers, managers, teachers, and so on. They work together to make a decision using cooperative principles which is then presented and defended to the entire group.

From the opening Host Couples Meeting until the final door prize is handed out, this weekend is a fun learning experience for everyone.

Chaplin Receives Award

Thomas Chaplin, a Darlington County farmer,

was presented the Environmental Award by Woodmen of the World, Lodge 52, at the State Awards Meeting on May 14th. ArborOne's own Peggy Merritt (pictured right) presented the award to Mr. Chaplin.

Don Boice, (pictured left) VP - Relationship Managers at ArborOne, praised Tommy Chaplin farming operation, calling him "a fine example of a farmer caring for his community by using environmentally sound practices."

Don also noted how much more our farmers, such as Mr. Chaplin, are aware of the need to conserve our land for future generations and they do this with practices such as no-till farming.

Woodmen of the World is one of the largest fraternal benefit societies with more than 810,000 members who belong to more than 2,000 lodges across the United States and conduct volunteer projects that benefit individuals, families and communities. For more information please visit http://www.woodmen.org/.

Dedicated Employee Retires at end of May

Life's about to be a beach for Judy Brown (shown at right with Jack Shuler, President & CEO of ArborOne) who will be retiring at the end of May. After 35 years with ArborOne, she is looking forward to spending more time with her family and relaxing on the beach. We're going to miss you, Judy - but wish you nothing but perfect weather!

First-Ever Video Contest "Keepin' It Rural"

Farm Credit video contest celebrates life in the country and ArborOne is calling for entries to the first-ever Keepin’ It Rural video contest.

Entrants can submit funny, inspiring, unusual, or amazing farm- or rural-themed videos for cash prizes. Full details and rules will be disclosed when the contest Web site, www.iKeepItRural.com, goes live on May 1. Videos may be submitted through Oct. 31, 2009.

Video submissions may be posted on an ongoing basis on the contest site as well as featured on the Keepin’ It Rural channel on YouTube.

"This is about sharing and enjoying what’s fun about farm and country life," says Mike Mooney, contest manager with AgFirst Farm Credit Bank. "It’s not about making fun of rural life, although I’m sure we’ll get some of those, too!"

The contest is sponsored by Farm Credit and open to residents of the 15 states included in the AgFirst Farm Credit District. They are: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio.