Senator Stabenow accepts award from GreenStone board representative Jed Welder.
During a ceremony at GreenStone’s headquarters, the AgriBank District Farm Credit Council (ADFCC) presented its 2023 Friend of Farm Credit Award to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, received the award for her distinguished leadership in Congress in helping to ensure that agriculture and rural communities across the country can continue to thrive.
GreenStone CEO Travis Jones addresses crowd at Senator Stabenow’s recognition event.
"It goes without saying that Chairwoman Stabenow has been a leading voice for farmers, ranchers, and rural America, and for that we owe a debt of gratitude,” said Jed Welder, a farmer from Montcalm County, Mich., and GreenStone Farm Credit Services board representative on the ADFCC. “We also are grateful for the strong, steadfast support she has demonstrated for the Farm Credit mission. She is leaving a legacy that agriculture and rural America will benefit from well into the future. We are honored to celebrate her as an AgriBank District Farm Credit Council Friend of Farm Credit and a friend of agriculture and rural America.”
To honor the senator’s long dedication to advocating for agriculture and America’s rural communities, GreenStone partnered with a number of agricultural organizations to donate $5,000 to both the Michigan FFA and Michigan 4-H in Senator Stabenow’s name.
Senator Stabenow presents Michigan FFA with donation check.
Senator Stabenow presents Michigan 4-H with donation check.
“Senator Stabenow has been a fierce supporter of agriculture in the senate for years and has been instrumental in making sure Michigan is a central focus in the Farm Bill,” said GreenStone President and CEO Travis Jones. “We are proud to present not only this award to her, but also these donations in her name to help equip the next generation of farmers with the tools they need to thrive.”
“I’ve always had three goals for the Farm Bill: keep farmers farming, keep families fed, and keep rural communities strong. Farm Credit is about all of that. The role of Farm Credit cannot be replaced, and it’s incredibly important,” Senator Stabenow remarked. “I’ve said it a thousand times: You don’t have an economy unless someone grows something and unless somebody makes something, and that’s what we do in Michigan.”
Senator Stabenow poses for a photo with GreenStone’s Board of Directors
GreenStone Farm Credit Services is one of the local Farm Credit Associations that comprise the AgriBank District along with AgriBank. The ADFCC represents Farm Credit farmers and ranchers in a 15-state area from Wyoming to Ohio and Minnesota to Arkansas. About half the nation's cropland is located within the AgriBank District.
