A Window on the Past Sheds Light on Our Future

Someone once said, “If you don’t know where you’ve been, it’s hard to know where you’re going.” While I am certainly not a history buff, I’m always on the lookout for artifacts, photographs or documents that shed light on Farm Credit’s 90-year history in Maine.

Over the years, we’ve come across numerous items of historical interest, which we plan to display in our offices for others to enjoy. Our oldest document shows a loan made by the Farm Loan Association of Auburn in the summer of 1916, two years before the Red Sox last won the World Series and long before their historic championship this fall!

"Here's to Farm Credit of Maine people:  They help make it happen for you!”

Most recently, our modest collection of memorabilia grew substantially when Richard Files, of Greenville, stopped by our Auburn office with a very generous gift of his father’s Farm Credit career scrapbook. His dad, Dick Files, was a 41-year Farm Credit employee who retired in 1971 as general manager of Federal Land Bank and Production Credit Associations of Southern Maine. Richard came across this gem while sorting through some old family items. His father had passed away a number of years ago.

The scrapbook is a unique account of Farm Credit history in southern, western and central Maine, and a window into Maine agriculture and Farm Credit of the 50s, 60s and 70s. It’s filled with old newspaper clippings and photographs of many people who laid the foundation of Farm Credit in Maine today.

For me, some of the most notable features of these accounts are their focus on customer-ownership, oversight and control. And the fact that producers built this organization and producers still own and direct it today.

Here are some treasures that we found. Perhaps you’ll recognize a few names:

A very old and frayed newspaper article on the Farm Credit Act of 1933 that led to the formation of a local farmer-owned production credit association in 1934. Seven farmers formed the new enterprise by each purchasing $5 of stock: Dr. John Ness, of Auburn; Foster Jamison, of Waldoboro; Harold Shaw, of Sanford;Wilson Conant, of Buckfield; Herbert Peck, of Winthrop;Wallace Dascombe, of Livermore Falls; and Hamlin Robbins, of Scarborough

• In the January 23, 1952 edition of the Lewiston-Auburn Sun (I wasn’t on board yet!), an account of the election of officers for the Farmers Production Credit Association of Auburn: Robert Pike, Cornish, president; Winfield Prout, Scarborough, vice president; and directors Luther Russell, Kents Hill; Richard Blanchard, Cumberland; and Wallace Spear, Waldoboro

• A 1975 Springfield (Mass.) District edition of The Farm Credit Exchange, announced the retirement of Bob Ness, who just recently passed away. Bob and his wife had returned to Maine in the late 1970s after a 41-year Farm Credit career in Springfield and as general manager of the Central Maine PCA and FLBA in the 1960s in Waterville

• A story from a 1980s edition of PCA Farming magazine, the predecessor of Financial Partner magazine, about Wendell Bubar, of St. Albans in Somerset County, who served 18 years as a Farm Credit director, four of them as chair

• Photographs of past directors Pete Tripp, who served on the Springfield District Bank board, Burleigh Crockett, Alfred Libby and Phil Andrews

• A story about the formation of the Interstate Lobster Cooperative, including a photograph of Bud Moody, of Harpswell

• Photographs of former employees, such as Harvey Theriault, Bill Hunt,Win White, Gary Bedore and Pauline Leveque. And some very interesting pictures of a very young Dick Robertson

These documents capture the ingredients that provide a solid foundation on which to run a good credit institution: A rich history of good people who serve the changing needs of farmers and related businesses. Customer ownership. And a focused mission of serving agriculture.

As we read about current business events, we need to continue to assess how to deliver the best value to our customer-owners over the long haul. When we look back over our history, we see our predecessors’ responsiveness to a changing agriculture and business climate. Our history reminds us of the importance of blending Farm Credit traditions, such as customer-ownership and high caliber people, with modern technology and business practices. The successes of our past shed a bright light on our future. We sincerely thank the family of Dick Files for their special gift to Farm Credit. The board, management and staff of Farm Credit of Maine were all touched by his generosity. If you have (or know about) a collection of Farm Credit memorabilia, and are willing to donate it to us, please call your loan officer or Ray Nowak (207.784.0193). We would like to hear from you.

Please contribute to our collectio

Raymond J. Nowak
President and CEO
Farm Credit of Maine

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