The Farm Credit System (FCS) celebrates its 90th anniversary of service.

The Farm Credit System (FCS) celebrates its 90th anniversary of service. The legislation Pres Woodrow Wilson signed into law in 1916 created a system of 12 regional Farm Loan Banks that would grant loans to farm cooperative associations, allowing farmers to borrow from their local institution, using their land and improvements as collateral.

Today, FCS has more than $108 billion in loans financing agriculture and its related cooperatives, rural homebuyers, small community water and waste disposal systems, rural electric and telephone systems and the export of U.S. farm commodities, the Farm Credit System is the oldest and largest financial cooperative in the nation. It is a network of 101 borrower-owned lending institutions and related service organizations serving U.S. agriculture and rural America.