Andy Steensma and his wife Ann began their part-time tree operation in their early twenties. They wholesale nursery and Christmas trees to select east coast farm markets. Farm Credit loan officer Kevin Cowles and office assistant Gayle Baker provide the Steensma’s with credit to operate their business. Andy shared his experience with Financial Partner magazine:

“I enjoy walking down nice rows of trees — that represents more time and management than people realize. To reduce office time spent on accounts, I strive for longer-term marketing relationships. Customer service and a quality tree make it happen.

“My goal is to have 50 acres with two part-time employees and a part-time job off the farm. That requires heavy investment in small stock to establish a crop. Our rotation target is five years on nursery stock and six to seven years for Christmas trees.

“I choose Farm Credit for their knowledge of agriculture and willingness to work with customers. Kevin frequently calls to see how things are going. Once a year, he stops out to review our operation. In a long-term business like this, that’s good. When I call [Farm Credit,] I appreciate Gayle’s manner and personality. That level of professionalism is not commonplace today.

“My wife and I grew up on family farms. We turned to tree crops to try and continue the tradition and pass it on to our kids.”