National Cooperative Month 2026
October is National Cooperative Month and we are celebrating what that means for Farm Credit and rural communities.
Farm Credit of Western Arkansas, a rural lending cooperative serving more than 12,000 members in 41 counties across western Arkansas, is marking National Cooperative Month by celebrating the model that has helped borrowers make rural Arkansas their home. Observed each October, National Cooperative Month raises awareness of the cooperative business model and honors cooperatives as a cornerstone of rural and national economic growth as a partner and trusted source of reliable credit.
“Farm Credit of Western Arkansas is more than a financial institution,” said Steve Young, a cow-calf producer from Logan County and chairman of the board. “As a cooperative, members' needs are our priority. We are committed to the rural lifestyle and seeing the communities where we live and work thrive.”
Cooperatives operate differently than traditional financial institutions. Every borrower has a voice in the organization as a member-owner, able to vote and contribute to the organization’s long-term stability. By aligning the success of the organization with the success of its members, Farm Credit can offer competitive financing while staying true to its mission of supporting producers, families and rural communities in its service area.
Unlike traditional banks, Farm Credit reinvests a portion of its profits into the cooperative or returns dividends directly to members through the coop’s unique patronage program. In February 2026, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas returned $10 million to its members from its 2025 profits. Since beginning the program in 1997, $197 million has been given back.
Owning a farming or ranching operation comes with significant financial hurdles and unpredictable challenges. Cooperatives work within the communities they serve and understand the realities of agriculture firsthand.
For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit system has financed farms, homes, land and more, helping producers and their families build and sustain rural livelihoods across the country. As a member-owned cooperative, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas focuses on long-term relationships and local service helping ensure its lending meets the needs of the rural communities the institution serves. To learn more about the available lending options offered by Farm Credit of Western Arkansas, visit one of the 23 branch offices near you to speak with your local ag lender, or click over to myaglender.com.
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