During the summer, my family’s weekends are filled with days at the pool, beach and amusement parks. I’m a mom on the go and like to have our calendar booked for weeks out. I live for taking my children and husband (ages 5, 2, and 35) on adventures and thankfully I was blessed with a traveling family who enjoys and embraces all of mom’s plans. From day trips to the Baltimore Zoo, to seeing the monuments of Washington DC, to berry picking at a local farm, we do it all.

Being one that seeks out adventure and fun, it’s no surprise that my children are always asking me “what’s next?” The other day at dinner, my 5 year old daughter, Anna, asked me, “Mommy, when are we going to pick apples?” My reply was that it’s a fall activity and we do that after your birthday (in September). As with all children, her follow-up question was, “How long until fall?”  While we still have many more weeks of summer fun left, I humored her request and talked about our favorite farm visits from last fall, and how we are planning on visiting them all again. 

Don’t get me wrong - summer is my absolute favorite season. Packing the kids up and hitting the beach for a weekend, swimming for hours and catching lightening bugs well past bed time are some of my favorite summer activities. Tucking a kid into bed with the hint of sunscreen and dirt still on their feet is the true sign that you had a great summer day. But there is something to be said about the fun that fall brings –pumpkin picking, hay rides, and apple cider donuts are just some of things we look forward to each fall.

With back to school preparation in full swing, it’s only a matter of weeks until fall is upon us once again! And part of my back to school prep is thinking ahead to what local farms we’ll visit this year, which got me reminiscing about one of our family’s favorite places – Larriland Farm.

Larriland Farm is a family operated farm in Howard County, Maryland. We stumbled upon this farm last year, as it is just down the street from where my aunt lives. We drove past my aunt’s house, in an attempt to keep our napping 2 year old son, Patrick, asleep. Driving past the farm, I could see the acres upon acres that were covered in signs about pick your own harvest, as well as various fall activities ready to go. I did a quick search and realized this was a must hit for our family and of course scheduled a time on our calendar to head back. A few things to know about Larriland:

• The growing season begins with strawberries in May – early June, and ends with the apple harvest in early November.
• They offer various fruits and vegetables to purchase in their market or “pick your own”:
  • Spinach, chard, kale, lettuce
  • Beets, tomatoes, squash, cantaloupes, corn, snap beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers
  • Pumpkins, broccoli
  • Strawberries, cherries, red/black raspberries
  • Blueberries, peaches, grapes, pears and apples
• Autumn activities include:
  • Harvest picking, specifically pumpkins and apples
  • Hayrides
  • Boo Barn (a very child friendly haunted house)
  • Hay maze
• You get a lot of bang for your buck. There is no admission fee to enter the farm or picking fields. The pick-your-own is a “pick and pay” format, ensuring you only pay for what you pick. There are many other activities to choose from, all of which are pay as you go.
• The environment could not be nicer. The grounds are beautiful, with ample parking and breathtaking views that make for great photo backgrounds. Playgrounds and open fields made this a perfect place for families to enjoy. One of the best features is that you can bring your own food onto the farm. They do offer food trucks and other food vendors, but you are not required to utilize them.
• The quality of their product is second to none. Acres upon acres, rows upon rows filled with more apples than you could imagine. Each row had a description of the type of apple and their predicted taste. For a family that gears towards the sweet, juicer apples it was easy to navigate to find the right ones for our family.

As consumers, we have many options as to where to go on the weekends. You have to think about what works best for you as a family – is cost important, or is it a child friendly atmosphere where you can bring your own food? These are all factors that I consider for all of our family adventures. I am so happy that we took that detour on our way to my aunt’s house, otherwise we may not have found Larriland Farm! After one visit, we were hooked. My calendar is already booking up for the fall, but you better believe Larriland Farm is a must stop for my family. See you there this fall!

We know how important the fair experience is for our 4H and FFA youth and we found ourselves really missing it this year as well.

To keep up the competitive spirit, we started a virtual showcase contest for youth livestock, dairy, horse, poultry or rabbit projects. Entrants could either write an essay or submit a video to answer the question: What was your summer fair project and what life lessons have you learned from your experience?

Here are our 2020 Virtual Showcase Winners!

Essay Award Winners

Champion – Kaitlyn Bradley, Vienna, MD

Reserve Champion – Jenna Everhart, Martinsburg, WV

SENIOR DIVISION

First Place – Kaitlyn Bradley, Vienna, MD

Second Place – Jenna Everhart, Martinsburg, WV

Third Place – Lindsey Rigby, Woodstock, VA

Fourth Place – Cheyenne Estep, Mount Jackson, VA

Fifth Place – Melissa Griswold, Chadds Ford, PA

JUNIOR DIVISION

First Place – Brileigh Francis, Centerville, MD

Second Place – Noelle Whalen, Berryville, VA

Third Place – Elizabeth (Libby) Green, New Windsor, MD

Fourth Place – Braelyn Francis, Centerville, MD

Fifth Place – Leah Stout, Winchester, VA

Video Award Winners

Champion – Emma Musser, Mount Joy, PA - VIDEO

Reserve Champion – Lake Vasey, Lincoln, DE - VIDEO

SENIOR DIVISION

First Place – Emma Musser, Mount Joy, PA

Second Place – Lake Vasey, Lincoln, DE

Third Place – Caleb Miller, Marietta, PA

Fourth Place – Elizabeth Handlin, Bear, DE

Fifth Place – Kimberly Laue, Winchester, VA

JUNIOR DIVISION

First Place – Ryleigh Archer, Milton, DE

Second Place – Cohen Miller, Marietta, PA

Third Place – Mikayla Britz, Reisterstown, MD

Fourth Place – Yardley Lockridge, Winchester, VA

Fifth Place– Alan Espenshade, Bainbridge, PA

Essays

My Summer Fair Projects by Kaitlyn Bradley

My name is Kaitlyn Bradley, and at our “2020 UnFair” I exhibited my three project animals. I also helped my friends exhibit their animals, because they had gotten sick. This year I raised a Berkshire gilt named Willow; a Duroc gilt named Honey, and a Jersey steer named Buck. For my friends, I also showed his Boar goat and his sisters Duroc barrow. Although 2020 was a unique year, I still gained many life lessons.

The 4 “H’s” in 4-H  stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health; and I learned life lessons relating to each one of these. For Head, the most important thing that I learned this year was goal setting. This year was very uncertain, so it was important to set small goals and keep working towards them. This also kept me motivated for our version of the fair.

The life lessons that I learned from Heart, were to always communicate. In a new virtual world, communication is extremely important. When I needed help or I was helping others with their project, my only option was to do it virtually.

The most important life lesson I learned was motivation, which falls under the hands category. I went and purchased my projects, but when the fair started becoming uncertain, I could feel my heart wasn’t into training them. Yet, I pushed myself to keep going and do my best, no matter what COVID-19 threw at us. This is why I learned an important lesson, because matter what; you always must always work with your animals.

Finally, the last life lessons falls under Health. Sometimes I felt like just quitting and waiting till next year, but I persevered and kept working towards my goals even though many events were getting cancelled. Also, I learned a personal safety lesson, since we had to wear masks and social distance.

My goals for the 2020 shows were to improve in my showmanship and place well in at least one breed class.  I won Reserve Champion 4-H beef showman and 3rd place in pig showmanship, which is a big improvement. I also won Grand Champion 4-H showman with my friend’s goat.  My showmanship skills have been improving, and as I keep improving, my next goal is to win the Supreme Showmanship contest. I also achieved my other goal by winning Grand Champion Breeding Hog and Grand Champion Dairy Steer.

Although this has been a very difficult year, I am grateful for the life lessons it has taught me, and that I was able to help my friends get their animals to the 4-H auction. We should always appreciate what we have, because it can be taken away fast. I look forward to next year and I hope it’s a more “normal” fair.

Virtual Showcase Contest Essay by Jenna Everhart

Hi, my name is Jenna Everhart, and I am a member of the Jefferson FFA Chapter and the Jefferson County 4-H Saddle Club in West Virginia. My FFA project this summer consisted of a market steer, dairy heifer, and through 4-H I did an equine project. This year, my steer’s name was Rufus, my dairy heifers name is Luna, and my equine project is my horse, Hector. I have grown up showing livestock since I was able to walk and started in clover buds, and now I have been a 4-H member for 11 years. Being a member of 4-H throughout the years has provided me with life skills that I will carry throughout my whole life. From waking up at the crack of dawn before school to feed my animals, to staying up all night with a sick kid. 4-H has taught me to work hard for what I love, ALWAYS smile while doing it, and most importantly, have fun. The reward of getting to raise a livestock project from start to finish and getting to show it off at my local fair every year is worth every up and down.

This year I had a goal of growing my steers hair out, which requires rinsing and blow drying my steer daily. The time I spent with my steer and the bond we developed was so strong because of how hard I worked toward just one goal. A goal I had with my equine project was to compete in the annual bareback dollar contest at my county fair. I know, seems like a pretty silly goal, but my horse is young and still being trained, so it was a pretty tough goal in my eyes. Bareback dollar was always one of the most fun games that everyone competed in together, everyone laughing the WHOLE time. I always enjoyed it with my old show horse, so I was determined to have just as much fun with Hector. Unfortunately, we never had our county fair, so I never got the chance to show off my hard work, but I definitely spent most of my summer riding without a saddle.

This year raising livestock projects for my county fair was incredibly difficult due to COVID-19. Everyone was unsure about being able to show our animals and sell them, wondering if all our hard work was going to go to waste, but my community came together and didn’t let down the youth. I am so thankful for them during a time that was scary and unpredictable. Our county fair was unable to happen, but members in our county hosted a COVID-19 Showcase and Sale for all the 4-H and FFA members in our county. Although I didn’t get to spend a full week with my ag family, the three days my community put together to allow the youth to show and sell our livestock projects were perfect. This is just one example of a life lesson agriculture has instilled in me. My ag family came together to put on something to not just benefit themselves, but to support all the youth in my county.

Horizon Farm Credit recently announced the hiring of Rhiannon Levan as a mortgage loan originator. She will be based in the association’s Mount Joy, Pennsylvania office.

“We are excited to have Rhiannon on our association’s sales team,” says Jason Reep, Horizon Farm Credit’s Vice President of Related Services. “She is well-versed in all Farm Credit has to offer, and has an expansive network of real estate professionals in our footprint. Rhiannon is a great asset to have in our department, and we look forward to her contributions toward serving our mission.”

Prior to becoming a loan originator, Levan was a loan processor for Farm Credit EXPRESS. In her new role, Levan will be working with customers to help them find the right mortgage product for their specific needs. “I am excited to work with our new and current customers, helping them make their dreams of homeownership come true,” says Levan.

Levan, a resident of Landisville, Pennsylvania, has more than 15 years of banking experience and her State Mortgage Loan Officer License. Prior to joining Horizon Farm Credit, she worked as a manager for a credit union and in the finance department at Case New Holland.

Horizon Farm Credit recently announced the hiring of Geoff Delamater as a loan officer, based in the association’s Bel Air, Maryland office. He will report to John Stump, regional lending manager for Horizon Farm Credit.

“We are excited to add Geoff to our sales team in Bel Air,” says Stump. “His past commercial banking experience and knowledge of agriculture make him a great asset to Farm Credit and our member-borrowers.”

As a loan officer, Delamater will work with current and prospective members to help them find the right financial solutions for their business. “I’ve lived on a farm for the past 11 years, and have met some of the best people I know through my farming experiences,” says Delamater. “I look forward to utilizing the credit experience I have to help local farmers become more successful and grow their business.”

Prior to joining Farm Credit as a loan officer, Delamater was a relationship manager with PNC Bank. He graduated from University of Baltimore with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Delamater currently resides on a dairy farm in Hydes, Maryland.

The Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement has announced the fifteen winners of their 2020 scholarship program. Ten thousand dollars will be awarded to each of the students for a total of $150,000 to pursue their careers in the agriculture industry. The recipients are:

• Ashley Abuelhawa from Mt. Airy, Maryland
• Todd Allen from Jefferson, Maryland
• Shoshana Brody from Baltimore, Maryland
• Nathan Brubaker from Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
• Marie Bryant from Manheim, Pennsylvania
• Maci Carter from Harrington, Delaware
• James Dietrich from Hegins, Pennsylvania
• Stephon Fitzpatrick from Princess Anne, Maryland
• Emma Hockman from Maurertown, Virginia
• Amy Middleton from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Lesa Ramsburg from Finksburg, Maryland
• Courtney Schrader from Earleville, Maryland
• Arilyn Tegtmeier-Oatman from Holtwood, Pennsylvania
• Lynne Thomas from Fallston, Maryland
• Abigail West from Frankford, Delaware

“We are so proud of the fifteen students who were selected to receive a scholarship,” says Walt Hopkins, Chairman of the Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement. “The talent and determination displayed in these applications amazed all of the judges. We are very confident in the future of agriculture with these bright students leading the way.”

The non-profit Foundation was established in 2015 and is funded by participating association Horizon Farm Credit. The Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement’s scholarship program awards scholarships valued at $10,000 to high school seniors or students currently enrolled in an advanced educational program. The applicants must be planning to pursue a career in agriculture and reside in a county within Horizon Farm Credit’s five-state territory.

“With more than 100 applications submitted this year, the competition was high,” adds Hopkins. “I encourage everyone to apply again next year if they qualify and to keep pursuing their dreams. Careers in agriculture are abundant and important to support the industry.”

For more information about the scholarship and other Foundation programs, please visit fcfoundationforag.org.

Horizon Farm Credit recently announced the hiring of Tyler Majchrzak as a loan officer. He will be based in the association’s office in Chestertown, Maryland.

“We are excited to have Tyler join our sales team to work alongside our employees and members,” says Wayne Richard, Horizon Farm Credit’s regional lending manager. “His knowledge of agriculture and connections in the community will allow him to successfully serve our customers.”

In his role as a loan officer, Majchrzak will be working with farmers and land owners on Delmarva as a partner to provide the best financing for their operations and dreams. “I hope to offer the members of Farm Credit a familiar face and someone they can put their trust in,” he says.

A current resident of Hartly, Delaware, Majchrzak grew up in Federalsburg, Maryland and attended the University of Kentucky, earning a degree in Technical Education in Agriculture. He previously worked for Reproduction Specialty Group as a Client Relations and Education Specialist, where he worked on client outreach, retention and scheduling on-farm and in-facility breeding days.

Majchrzak was involved in 4-H and FFA, serving as President of Maryland FFA from 2013-2014. He raised and showed purebred Hampshire sheep at the local and national level, and currently owns sheep with his father, raising and selling breeding stock.

Horizon Farm Credit recently announced the promotion of Thomas Truitt to the role of Chief Executive Officer. He is based in the association’s Westminster, Maryland headquarters office.

“I am grateful to be a part of such a wonderful team here at Horizon Farm Credit,” says Truitt, who transitioned to the new position on January 1. “I look forward to beginning this new chapter as CEO and continuing to serve our customers on a daily basis.”

Truitt has been employed with Farm Credit since 1993, holding positions within the sales, credit, and IT departments. Since 2013, he has served as the Chief Operating Officer for Horizon Farm Credit. In his new role, Truitt will be working closely with board members and staff to ensure the association achieves its overall goals and objectives, and remains focused on fulfilling the Farm Credit mission.

“Thomas is well-versed in all aspects of the Farm Credit system, and his years of experience make him an excellent fit for this position,” says Wayne Lambertson, chairman of Horizon Farm Credit’s board of directors. “We are looking forward to the leadership and diverse skill set he will bring to this role.”

Horizon Farm Credit recently announced the hiring of Bessie Moy as the Director of Audit and Review. She will be based in the association’s administrative office in Westminster, Maryland.

“We are excited to have Moy join Farm Credit,” says Tom Truitt, CEO of Horizon Farm Credit. “She will lead our association’s internal audit function to support the continued success of our mission with her experience in finance, audit, and accounting.”

In her role as Director of Audit and Review, Moy will provide an independent and objective evaluation of the risk management practices, internal controls, and governance processes to the board and executive leadership team. “I hope to offer our members a sense of security and stability when they choose to take a loan out with us,” she says. “Farm Credit’s mission to support rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services is incredibly important, and I’m excited to be a part of an organization with such a sense of purpose.”  

A resident of Ellicott City, Maryland, Moy is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a bachelors of science in accounting and the University of Maryland with a master’s of science in business and accounting. Prior to joining Farm Credit, Moy worked as the Vice President of Internal Audit for a financial services organization and has worked in audit leadership positions with Winrock International, Grant Thornton, Ernst & Young, M&T Bank, BB&T Bank, and other community banks. She is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).

Note: The following information pertains to home mortgage loan products. Farm and business loans will use different loan approval guidelines.

One of the most important factors in getting qualified for a home mortgage loan is income. Lenders, both large and small, justifiably want to know that you have money rolling in on a consistent basis—as this is a good sign that that you’ll be able to repay the money you borrowed. Employees that are paid hourly or salary wages are able to prove their income basis by providing IRS Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement from their employer indicating just how much money they earn. However, things get a little bit trickier when we start talking about mortgages for self-employed individuals.

Unlike employees that are paid hourly or salary wages, self-employed homebuyers can’t simply produce a W-2 to prove their income. Instead, self-employed applicants will be expected to produce evidence of at least the last two consecutive years in tax returns. Coming up with this information, in addition to other supporting documentation, can be some work. Lenders will calculate your taxable income basis differently depending how you report. Self-employed borrowers may use Schedule C, Schedule F or Schedule E to report self-employed income.

The most common issue self-employed individuals encounter when applying for a home mortgage loan is differentiating between how much gross income they make and the amount the government recognizes as net income, according to their tax returns.

Despite having plenty of cash flow on hand, not to mention access to credit through their business accounts, self-employed individuals are often shocked when they learn just how much their net income actually is after factoring in tax write offs and other business expenses. Conventional mortgage investors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac base their lending decision on net taxable income.

So now that you know the challenges for self-employed folks, let’s talk about the best way to approach qualifying for a home mortgage loan. Here’s how to start: Gather all your documents. Getting your tax returns in order is of utmost importance.

GATHER AT LEAST THE LAST TWO YEARS OF TAX RETURNS.

Most residential home loan options require at least the last two consecutive years of your tax returns.

GATHER ANY OTHER APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS.

In addition, you’ll want to gather any other tax documents that may be applicable to your specific scenario. These may include:

• Schedule C
• Schedule E
• Schedule F
• Form 1120S
• K-1
• Profit and Loss Statement

Getting past tax returns and other supporting documents should be simple. Most self-employed individuals can turn to their accountants for this information.

We recently announced a record-breaking patronage distribution of over $54 million in cash to our members this month. We returned over 73 percent of our patronage sourced income, reducing borrowers’ interest rates by almost 40 percent.

“As a member-borrower of Farm Credit, one of the most important financial benefits is sharing the profits of the association with our members through our patronage program,” says Tom Truitt, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Farm Credit. “We are proud to distribute a record-breaking amount back to our customers this month, especially after the challenges we have all faced this past year.”

Horizon Farm Credit is a part of the national Farm Credit System. Our territory covers portions of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Farm Credit is a member-owned cooperative, comprised of associations that are able to share a portion of their annual profits with their member-borrowers. Each association determines its total income and expenses at the close of each fiscal year. Once all expenses are deducted, the net income remaining can be distributed in accordance with the association’s bylaws.

“Since 1990, we’ve distributed more than $597 million in cash to our members,” adds Brian Rosati, Chief Financial Officer of Horizon Farm Credit. “Our cooperative structure has served our borrowers for many years, and will continue to in the future.”

In 2020, Horizon Farm Credit distributed over $50.8 million in cash to its member-borrowers.