Some people are thinking about pumpkin. While others have fall leaves on their minds. But farmers are getting their equipment and teams ready for harvest, which is expected to begin next week.
First State Bank of Forrest Mahomet Branch wants farmers to know that they are not forgotten, and that their work is appreciated.
It’s an annual practice of the bank, and one that is carried out in its six branches.
“We’re a smaller bank from a smaller community,” Mahomet Branch Manager Nick Schneider said. “Forrest is a small town, very agriculturally focused. Peoria Heights, they’re a little bit less agricultural, but the rest of them they’re all in very small, farm based communities.”
Whether a farmer is a customer of the bank or not, they will receive a bag full of snacks this week. First State Bank of Forrest Mahomet delivers to elevators at Lotus, north of Mansfield and Galesville.
“We hand these out to people as they bring the grain in so they have a little snack to get them through the afternoon,” Schneider said. “They can take stuff back to people in the combine.”
Due to COVID-19 concerns, the bank will leave the bags at the elevator this year so that they can just be picked up as grain comes in.
“Earlier this year, we had some food disruption,” Schneider said. “We saw how important the farming community actually is in getting that food to market to continue the food chain for 2021.”
The First State Bank of Forrest Mahomet team packed bags this week. Schneider gave a run down of what’s in the bag, knowing that the contents will last a couple days, but joking about how healthy they are.
“Potato chips: potatoes, a vegetable,” he said with a smile. “Rice Krispies, because you know it’s got rice; rice is healthy. And Twizzlers because it’s red; red is a fruit. Right?
“We just hope it helps them get through the day.”
