Pictured above from left to right: John Peters (FCI Sherman office representative); Evan Cooper (scholarship recipient); Aaron Johnson (FCI President and CEO)

Evan Cooper named Farm Credit Agriculture Scholar

 

[July 02, 2023]    Evan Cooper, of Mount Pulaski, was recognized as one of 30 members of the class of 2023 Farm Credit agriculture scholars during a luncheon at Carriage House Event Center in Altamont on Thursday, June 1.

Each scholar receives $2,500 from FCI to pursue a degree within the field of agriculture. Recipients were selected from 145 applicants throughout central and southern Illinois by a panel of judges in the agriculture industry.

This fall Cooper will attend Illinois College to study agriculture business management with hopes to either return to his family farm or pursue a career in agricultural sales. He is the son of Scott and Tanya Cooper of Mt. Pulaski.

“Farm Credit Illinois is proud to invest in tomorrow’s of the agricultural industry,” says Rod Stoll, vice president of marketplace engagement for FCI. “These scholars will support Farm Credit’s mission of Helping Farm Families Succeed by applying their passion for agriculture to their careers, which will help shape the future of agriculture and Rural America.”

Farm Credit Illinois (FCI) is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by 18,000 farmer, rural landowner, and agribusiness voting stockholder members in the southern 60 counties of Illinois. Dedicated to Helping Farm Families Succeed, FCI provides competitive and flexible financing, crop insurance expertise, and Rural 1st® country life lending. FCI manages a $6 billion loan portfolio, sells 1.5 million acres of crop insurance coverage, and employs 280 staff in the Mahomet headquarters and 14 regional offices.

The Association returned $40 million of 2022 earnings as cash patronage to member-borrowers in 2023. The U.S. Farm Credit System is a network of locally owned cooperatives supporting rural communities, farm families, and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services today and tomorrow.

[Brooklyne Luessenheide
Digital Engagement Intern]