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Patronage
Sharing Our Success with You
What sets us apart from other lenders? We give back. As a member-owner of Fresno Madera Farm Credit, you’re more than just a borrower—you’re part of a cooperative. And that means when we succeed, so do you.
Each year, we return a portion of our earnings to our members through patronage distributions, effectively lowering your cost of borrowing. It’s one of the most powerful advantages of financing with a cooperative lender—we operate for your benefit, not outside investors.
How Patronage Works
✅ You Borrow, You Own – As a Farm Credit borrower, you’re also a member-owner
✅ You Share in the Profits – A portion of our earnings is returned to you based on your business with us
✅ You Lower Your Costs – Patronage distributions reduce your overall cost of borrowing
✅ You Benefit from Strength – Retained earnings help us stay financially strong, ensuring we can serve you for generations
Built for Farmers, Powered by Farmers
As a 100% farmer-owned cooperative, our mission is simple: support agriculture and strengthen rural communities. Our patronage program is just one of the ways we deliver on that promise—by putting money back where it belongs: in your hands.
Learn more about how you can benefit from our Patronage Program.
Organizational Structure
Fresno Madera Farm Credit, ACA (“FMFC”, or “Association”) is a privately held farmer-owned cooperative, owned 100% by our member-borrowers (“members”). As a result of our cooperative structure, we enjoy a number of unique advantages that benefit our members.Cooperatives and Earnings
Like other companies, cooperatives use earnings to accumulate capital. Increasing capital improves the company’s ability to withstand adversity, and increases competitiveness in the marketplace.After cooperatives determine their earnings each year and access the need for capital, the board of directors can distribute a portion of earnings in the form of patronage distributions.
Patronage Distributions
A patronage distribution is a distributed from a cooperative to a member based on the amount of business done with the member. Patronage distributions can either be in the form of cash, or equity representing an allocation of surplus.
