THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 24, 2026
4
Stride Account Manager BJ Birch and Jaret Murray Vice-President of Ag and Commercial visit Bailey Farms near Carberry. (Submitted) More Than Just a Harvest A fter weeks of wet weather, a stretch of sunshine during potato
Maybe retirement is still decades away. Maybe it’s starting to feel a lot closer. May- be the goal is to grow before you ever think about slowing down. Or maybe you simply want to know that when the time comes, you’ll have options. Those are financial questions, but the an- swers aren’t found in the numbers alone. Understanding what someone wants to ac- complish also means understanding what they’ve built, how their operation works, the challenges they face, and what matters to them and their family. That’s particularly true in agriculture and business, where two operations that look similar on paper can have very different stories behind them. It’s why relationships have always been an important part of how Stride Credit Union works with its members. A financial state- ment can tell part of the story. A conver- sation around the kitchen table, a visit to a business, or an afternoon spent seeing a farm in operation can tell much more. Because behind most financial decisions
is a more personal question: What do you actually want? A farm your kids might want someday. A business that can carry on without you. The freedom to retire when you’re ready. A home you finally own outright. Something to leave your family. Or simply enough breathing room to feel comfortable about what comes next. Meals in the Field is one of the ways Stride goes beyond everyday banking to build meaningful relationships with its members. It’s an opportunity to step outside the of- fice, spend time with members, and better understand the farms, businesses, and lives they’re working to build. The numbers will always matter. But good financial advice takes more than knowing the numbers. It takes knowing the people behind them. ■
Stride Account Manager BJ and Jaret, Vice-President of Ag and Commercial, also had an opportunity to see the operation first- hand. Lori took them into the fields to watch the potato harvesters in action, while Terry provided a look at the farm’s unloading, pro- cessing and storage system back at the yard. Despite the challenging conditions lead- ing up to harvest, the operation moved like a well-oiled machine. But beyond the equipment, bins of pota- toes, and pace of harvest, the visit was also a reminder of what a farm represents. Years of work. Decisions made season after season. It’s where conversations about money be- come conversations about much more. For anyone who has spent years building a farm or a business, there eventually comes a point when the questions begin to change. How much longer do you want to work? What would stepping back actually look like? Is there someone who wants to take over? And if there is, how do you make that transi- tion work for everyone involved?
harvest meant there wasn’t a minute to waste at Bailey Farms near Carberry. So when representatives from Stride Credit Union stopped by with more than 30 meals for the crew during one of their Meals in the Field visits, supper had to fit around the work — not the other way around.
Powered by FlippingBook