Chris Schneider has been on the job long enough in Door and Kewaunee Counties to know that in agriculture, you have to be along for the ride. Prices have been up and down in recent years, but data from the United States Department of Agriculture shows they have not rebounded from highs in 2014.  Add in the impact of COVID-19, overproduction, and higher production costs, farmers have not been able to reinvest in their farm to improve their equipment or land management strategies. As the Vice President and Senior Agricultural Banking Officer at Investors Community Bank, Schneider says seeing a farm being able to make those improvements over time and reap the benefits has been rewarding.

Schneider says he lets the farmers work with their agronomist on different strategies before helping them weigh the additional costs of production versus the benefits they may see.  He adds assistance programs for commodities like dairy have made it easier for farmers to protect themselves from downturns.