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Farm Credit Mid-America: New resources could help farmers strengthen their financial position in 2026 

The director of retail credit underwriting at Farm Credit Mid-America says producers have an opportunity to strengthen their financial position in 2026.

Gary Book says regularly reviewing balance sheets can help farmers identify problems before they start. 

“Just doing a balance sheet and taking it to your lender once a year is important, but how do you use that financial statement to make better informed decisions on an operation,” he says. “You really need to develop a plan to improve that.”

He tells Brownfield the farmer-owned cooperative is expanding its educational resources.

“The initial design is for them to do some self-learning to really have a good understanding and go as far as they can before getting their lender involved,” he says. “Balance sheets are going to evolve throughout the year, so if something does pop up, your lender should be in the loop so they understand what you’re working towards and what your goals are.”

Book says keeping accurate records can help farmers reduce risk ahead of the upcoming crop year.

For more information about Farm Credit Mid-America’s new educational resources, click here.

AUDIO: Gary Book, Farm Credit Mid-America