MOTHER LODE BANK and ICBA
“Community Banks Keep Rural America Growing”
Mother Lode Bank and Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) are reminding all about the critical role community banks serve in supporting local farmers and agriculture. Community banks are able to serve as financial first responders to the agricultural community because they operate locally; putting local deposits back to work in their communities through loans to local farmers, residents and small businesses.
“Community banks are pivotal to the overall health and financial success of rural America as they provide an overwhelming share of credit to local farmers,” said Jeff Gerhart, ICBA “Farmers are small business owners, and as small businesses ourselves, community banks across the nation are able to better serve their agricultural customers because they understand the agriculture business, their community and their market. Community banks have consistently been the largest provider of agricultural credit within the commercial banking sector and are often the catalysts for new and expanded business opportunities within their communities to ensure long-term economic viability and vitality. In fact, community banks provide more than 70 percent of all commercial bank agricultural loans.
Community banks often use government loan programs for housing, small business and farm loans to assist borrowers who would otherwise have difficulty obtaining commercial credit. Continuing these programs is vital for rural America.
“Community banks stimulate rural economies in a multitude of ways, including creating off-farm jobs, maintaining the local tax base and facilitating development of the infrastructure and public services necessary to keep rural communities vibrant,”
Mother Lode Bank takes particular pride in working with our agricultural community. Working together furthers our goal of strengthening the community in which we live.
Sincerely,
Charles W. Milazzo President & Chief Executive Officer
About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America, the nation’s voice for community banks, represents nearly 5,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types throughout the United States and is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and the communities and customers we serve. For more information, visit www.icba.org.
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