High Plains Farm Credit – Home for the Past 37 Years

It is truly amazing to think back over 37 years ago, I was getting out of college and wanted to be involved with agriculture in my future job.  I grew up on a farm thinking agriculture was the best and greatest business.  I still believe this is true today.  I was the ninth of eleven kids in my family growing up, so I knew that I would need to find a job off of the family farm.

Charlie Schippers beginning his Farm Credit career

I was fortunate to obtain a job with the Farm Credit System on June 1st 1982.  I trained at Marysville, KS for 6 months before moving to the Ness City office.  I was a loan officer in Ness City for two years, then I transferred to the Federal Land Bank of Hays office in March 1985.  The 80’s were some very turbulent years for farming and banking, changes transpired that effected everyone.  High Plains Farm Credit was created in 2000 because of the merger between the Federal Land Bank of Hays and the Larned PCA.  This merger allowed me to work with short and long term lending.  In 2017, I starting working at both the Ness City and Hays offices as they merged together.  I have had various roles within Farm Credit but have mainly worked with farmers and ranchers my entire career. Farm Credit has been a great job that is interesting, challenging and taught me new things every day.  It has given my wonderful wife and I the means to support and raise our family.

It has been a gratifying experience getting to know and work with some of the best people.  I have learned so much from them and I hope they have learned a lot from me.  It creates a great sense of satisfaction when a customer reaches the goals they have set forth for their operation.  Agriculture continues to be one of the most trying, yet rewarding industries as technology evolves, and new challenges arise.  Farmers are some of the most innovative people in the world, and they continue to adjust to make the best of their situation.

I want to share some words of wisdom from customers I have heard over the years.

  • “Work hard and be smart about it.”
  • “You need to put yourself in a position to be able to take advantage of opportunities when they come available.”
  • “People make their own luck.”
  • “Don’t worry about the accident since no one was hurt.  Equipment and iron can be replaced, people cannot.”
  • “A great interest rate and a patronage check, I like this place.”
  • “Your operating profits are not yours to spend until you have paid your income taxes.”

These words of wisdom seemed to remain true over my career.

As I retire at the end of 2019, I will miss working with the customers and co-workers at the place I have called home for the past 37 years.  I look forward to being able to travel and spend more time with my family and six grand kids.  I feel good that the customers will be working with a great professional team at High Plains Farm Credit to help them in the future.  I continue to believe High Plains Farm Credit is the best place to do business.