Many say that agricultural lending is one of the most difficult types of credit to understand.

Learn the basic skills in understanding the producer’s cash flow, management ability, and credit risk.

There are many variables such as weather, commodity prices, health of crops or critters, technology, leverage, and management skill that greatly impact the producer’s ability to generate income sufficient to pay operating expenses and retire your debt in an orderly manner. Understanding the risk in your borrower can help you minimize losses and maximize profit in the loan portfolio.

By the end of the course...

you'll have developed a solid foundation of understanding agricultural credit so you can function successfully in your career.

  • Understand risks and structure of agricultural lending

  • Learn tax return and accrual-based financials cash flow

  • Assess the management skills of your producer

  • Know what to look for in a farm inspection

  • Recognize and understand agricultural collateral

  • Identify if the producer’s budget is a bulls-eye or just plain bull

Meet your presenter

Rod Werhan, [email protected]

Rod Werhan was a career National Bank Examiner with the OCC who retired in February 2020 after 36 years of service. His credit experience includes examining commercial and retail lending in community, mid-size, and large institutions.

Meet your presenter

Phil Love, [email protected]

Phil Love is president of Pactola. He has over 30 years banking and lending experience with community, regional banks and credit unions. He holds graduate degrees from the Graduate School of Banking at University of Wisconsin and also holds a CCIM designation from the National Association of Realtors.

This four-part course includes...

  • Workbooks

    Provided to help with farm budgeting, assessing producer’s management skills and farm inspections.

  • Video-based lessons

    Each module contains a series of video and text-based lessons with classes between 1 – 1 ½ hours in length.

  • Homework

    Each module has suggested homework to help learners sharpen their analytical skills.

Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Live session: Join us on Zoom

    • Homework: Farm Financial Assessment

    • 2021 Introduction to Agricultural Lending

    • Introduction to Agricultural Lending Beginning Class Survey

    • Missed the live session? View the recording here.
  2. 2

    • Live session: Join us on Zoom

    • Homework 2

    • 2021 Introduction to Ag Lending Part 2-Financial Analysis.pptx2

    • Recording of Introduction to Agricultural Lending Part 2
  3. 3

    • Live session: Join us on Zoom

    • Homework 3, Part 1

    • Homework 3, Part 2

    • Homework 3, Part 4

    • 2021 Introduction to Ag Lending Part 3-Budgeting and Management Analysis

    • Livestock and Crop Production History

    • Recording of Introduction to Agricultural Lending Session 3 Budgeting and Management
  4. 4

    • Live session: Join us on Zoom

    • Ag Inspection

    • Title Insurance Endorsements

    • 2021 INtroduction to Ag Lending Part 4-Collateral

    • Exit Survey for Introduction to Agricultural Lending

    • 2021 INtroduction to Ag Lending Part 4-Collateral2

    • Replay of Introduction to Agricultural Lending Part 4: Collateral and INspections