ABA Forms special Center for Farm Bank Assets

November 3, 1999

The American Bankers Association has created the Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking to improve bankers' ability to provide customers with credit and agricultural lending expertise. ABA made the announcement this week at the national agricultural bankers conference in Colorado Springs, CO.

Several new initiatives will provide the focus for the center that will be directed by ABA's John Blanchfield. The initiatives include a web site for farm bankers that will link rural customers with a local ABA member bank and provide information to farm bankers about special areas of interest; training resources and programs to attract and mentor new farm bankers; research into the evolving role of banks in the broader agricultural system, and farm finance training resources and programs for farm and ranch customers, emphasizing the evolution in the farm economy since the 1996 farm law was passed.

ABA's current activities include managing the Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee comprised of bankers from throughout the country and the annual National Agricultural Bankers Conference; developing agricultural and rural banking policy; working with USDA and other federal agencies, and publishing the Journal of Agricultural Lending.