Premier Farm Credit to return $5.5 million to member-owners

Local ag-lending cooperative Premier Farm Credit has announced that it will mail $5.5 million in cash patronage dividend checks to its member-owners in early 2022.

“Getting a cash patronage dividend check shows that the borrowers of Premier Farm Credit are part-owners of a business that’s working for them,” said Becky Lenz, board chair. “$5.5 million dollars is a significant amount and demonstrates the board of directors’ ongoing commitment to supporting the member-owners of this lending cooperative — in good times and bad.”

This year’s substantial payout marks the 25th consecutive year Premier Farm Credit has paid a cash patronage dividend, bringing the total returned in that time frame to nearly $74 million.

“We’ve heard from our borrowers that it makes them feel good about who they are doing business with when they get their cash patronage dividend check,” president and CEO Michael Grauberger said. “It’s important to us that we return a meaningful amount while remaining financially sound and focused on serving agriculture and rural communities today and tomorrow.”

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