Banking on Farms

Food Chain Radio Podcast with Michael Olson

Lee Ann Pearce, Senior Vice President and Manager, Food and Agribusiness Industry Advisors Group, Wells Fargo Bank &Karol Aure-Flynn, Vice President, Food & Agribusiness Industry Sector Analyst, Wells Fargo Bank

Where is the money to grow our food?'

It takes time, money and know-how to farm our food.

When most everyone lived on a farm, farmers grew crops by using a lot of time and know-how, but with only a little money, as money was very expensive and hard to obtain.

Farms of that time were most likely operated by families, as the need for the time of family members was great.

When most everyone moved into town, farmers began growing crops using a lot of money and know-how, but with only a little time, as time became very expensive and hard to obtain.

Farms of this time are most likely operated by business people and their bankers, as the need for money is great.

Recently the business of farms and food has been turned upside down and inside out by a tiny little microorganism called Covid-19. But this disruption has not changed the essential business of agriculture which, as Michael Olson’s First Law of the Food Chain states, is “the foundation upon which we build all our sand castles.” Farmers must still grow our food, and this leads us to ask,

Where is the money for our food?

(farm lending, Wells Fargo commercial banking, financial projects, food and agriculture sector banking)