Fresno Madera Farm Credit and CoBank announced today that they have made a $30,000 donation to Central California Food Bank’s Feeding Families Fund Drive. The donation will provide more than 120,000 meals to residents of Central California who have been severely impacted by the pandemic and rising inflation.
“During the pandemic, we lost a lot of corporate donors due to business closures and economic hardships, so we are immensely grateful that businesses like Fresno Madera Farm Credit have continued to provide their support,” said Denise O’Canto, Corporate Relations Manager with Central California Food Bank. “This generous donation will help us continue to meet that expanded need, especially as we move towards the holiday season when demand is at its highest.”
The $30,000 donation was made possible, thanks in part to CoBank, the funding bank for Fresno Madera Farm Credit, who matched Fresno Madera Farm Credit’s $15,000 local donation.
“CoBank is proud to support Fresno Madera Farm Credit in their commitment to supporting the rural communities where they live and work,” said Claire Trudo, Vice President with CoBank. “We know that food insecurity is often higher in these rural communities, and we are proud to support organizations like the Central California Food Bank who are working to end hunger.”
Fresno Madera Farm Credit’s donation was timed to coincide with the Feeding Families Fund Drive when all donations received a 50% match from Gar Bennett. Staff from Fresno Madera Farm Credit also volunteered Friday to help the Food Bank collect donations from the community outside of The Market grocery store. During this single day, the Central California Food Bank raised over $600,000 with the Gar Bennett match.
“We’re proud of the support we’ve provided to our area communities over the past eight years through our partnership with the Central California Food Bank,” said Fresno Madera Farm Credit CEO Keith Hesterberg. “Supporting the mission of food insecurity has never been more critical – food inflation has a devasting impact on so many members of our communities and the need for this support is critical. We have a mission to serve the agricultural industry in this region and our members – the farmers, ranchers, and business owners we serve – understand how important this kind of support is.”
About Fresno Madera Farm Credit
Founded in 1917, Fresno Madera Farm Credit is a farmer-owned cooperative and a proud member of the national Farm Credit System. Located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, FMFC provides credit and financial services to farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses that grow, process, and market over 350 commodities that are shipped all over the United States, and the world. For more information about FMFC please visit fmfarmcredit.com, and for more information about the Farm Credit System, visit www.farmcredit.com.
About CoBank
CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 76,000 farmers, ranchers, and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure, and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S., and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.
