Lone Star Ag Credit Members Visit Capitol Hill during Farm Credit Young Leaders Program
Lone Star Ag Credit members Trevor and Charley Beuerlein from West, Texas took their interests in agriculture to Capitol Hill on June 22.
As participants in the 2023 Farm Credit Young Leaders Program, the couple met with staff members of Congressman Pete Sessions on their Hill visits.
“This program, created a dynamic atmosphere that connected us with other great ag leaders from Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.” Trevor Beuerlein said. “During the trip we were able to glean information from each other to elevate our operations. In New York we learned about the funding process at the national level. In Washington, D.C., we were able to learn about risk management tools available to ag producers. It was also an honor to participate in congressional meetings to share our stories and ensure there are faces behind the legislation of the Farm Bill and Farm Credit’s mission.”
The Beuerleins were selected by Lone Star Ag Credit to participate in the Young Leaders program, hosted by the Tenth District Farm Credit Council. The four-day event recognizes and rewards young Farm Credit stockholders for outstanding leadership and involvement in the agriculture industry, and teaches them about the Farm Credit System, the legislative process and the nation’s financial markets.
This year’s program took 27 young emerging leaders and Farm Credit borrowers from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas to the nation’s political and financial centers, Washington, D.C., and New York City. There, they met with Farm Credit, USDA and elected officials to discuss loan programs and policies that affect the country’s farmers and ranchers.
Besides visiting Capitol Hill, participants also gained an inside perspective and behind-the-scenes look at the nation’s largest source of financing for agriculture and rural America. During a visit to the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation, they learned how investors purchase highly rated Farm Credit notes and bonds, supplying steady funding for loans and related services.
Trevor and Charley are first-generation ranchers. They specialize in registered and commercial Angus herds. Trevor is a federal government employee, an active real estate investor and serves on various state and local boards.
“Our members are able to learn more about how Farm Credit supports farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across the country through this program,” said Chief Executive Officer, Joe Hayman. “Along with other attendees from around the district, they had a front row seat seeing the value and service the Farm Credit System provides to agriculture and rural America.”