2021 was a big year for the Glengarry team. It was the year we introduced ourselves to the world as Canada’s first institutionally-backed private agricultural lender — changing the landscape of agricultural lending for farmers and brokers alike.
Providing Financial Solutions to Canada’s Farmers
There’s no denying that 2021 was a tough year for Canadian agriculture. The ongoing pandemic, along with drought and other cases of extreme weather, introduced new hurdles to an already unpredictable industry. Most of our clients are very good farmers and run their businesses well, but some things are outside of their control.
As word began to spread about Glengarry and the alternative farm mortgage and farm financing solutions we offer, we began to see deals of all shapes and sizes come across our desks — from large-scale grain and cattle operations in the prairies, to small dairies in Ontario. While each of our farm clients is unique, we have the expertise to get their finances back on track no matter their situation.
As a team of boots-on-the-ground farmers, we make an effort to conduct site visits for every client we can. Getting out on the farms is important to us. We enjoy the connection that comes from meeting our clients face-to-face, and working with them to achieve long-term success.
Each client we meet and each farm mortgage deal we help close brings us a great sense of pride. We are committed to an honest and collaborative approach to farm financing — keeping more equity in the client’s farm, where it belongs.
Introducing a New Era in Farm Financing
As the first of our kind in Canada, we needed to explain our mission and find partners who shared our belief in Canadian agriculture and the integrity of Canada’s farmers. By delivering in-person and virtual presentations to Canadian banks and to the mortgage broker network, we demonstrated who we are and what we do. Glengarry’s products and team have been received with enthusiasm!
Before we came along, there wasn’t a Canadian lender dedicated to working with brokers to provide alternative lending solutions for farm deals. We’ve since opened up a whole new channel of opportunity for our broker partners —a largely untapped market, and a chance to broaden their offerings.
We also began to expand our partnerships with conventional lenders like banks and government agencies. We understand that conventional lenders need to maintain stricter guidelines when it comes to lending and often can’t make exceptions for a few bad financial years. Our goal is to act as a temporary solution, setting our farm clients up for success to work towards a long-term relationship with their primary bank. In many cases, we help farmers make better decisions to avoid the same situation in the future.
Expanding Our Partnership Network and Our Team
Over the course of the year, we continued to meet with appraisers, lawyers, farm debt mediation consultants and other lenders from across the country. Our network is constantly expanding as we find more partners who share our vision of supporting Canadian agriculture with flexible and fair financing solutions. Continually expanding our network and working alongside kindred professionals who share our belief in Canadian agriculture allows us to meet more farmers who might need a solution we can provide.
As our network of partners continued to grow, and more farm clients came our way, we knew we needed to expand our team to keep up with demand. We were proud to add two new, dedicated staff members in 2021 to help support our mission.
Looking Ahead at 2022
So, what’s next for Glengarry? In 2022 we are planning to broaden our partnerships in all areas and to get out and meet more of our Canadian farmers whenever we can. We are looking forward to continuing to serve our farmers and to set them up to succeed by letting them focus on what they do best – farming!
We know that farmers are still facing the financial impacts of 2021, and expect more challenges ahead in 2022, but at least now they have more options than ever before. As a team of farmers, we’re often facing the same issues our clients are, so we come from a place of deeper understanding. That’s why we’re committed to offering flexible and practical financial solutions for Canadian agriculture. Glengarry looks at the potential of a client’s farm, instead of just its past. We offer short and medium term lending options for long-term success, and will work with our partners and clients to preserve the future of Canadian agriculture. So, to 2022, we say: “Bring it on!”