A Strong Lender 

For folks like Dr. Michael Baird, Texas-based conservationist, veterinarian and outdoorsman, borrowing money for land requires a lender who knows rural communities. That’s why Michael chose AgTrust Farm Credit. 

“Everybody involved in the process understands agriculture,” he said. “They understand what rural people do. They understand the needs of borrowers in the ag field. That’s important.” 

Michael would know—he’s been working with AgTrust since 2003 when he took out his first loan to build a veterinary clinic. In the decades since, he’s borrowed for everything from buying hunting land to building his house in rural Texas. 

A Passion for Stewardship 

Michael bought his first piece of land in 1997 used strictly for hunting and trapping. But as he acquired more adjoining acres throughout the years, it fostered an interest in wildlife and habitat management. Eventually, his research homed in on a bird from his childhood: quails. 

“I grew up quail hunting right here,” he said. “I watched over the years as quails got fewer and fewer, and then just disappeared. So, I started devoting my spare time to improving and creating quail habitat.” 

Michael’s conservation efforts are part of a larger movement across the state to increase quail population, the hunting of which is a deep-rooted Texas tradition. His work to improve the habitability of his 600-plus acres has even inspired neighbors to begin doing the same. 

To some, the work to keep hundreds of acres thriving and functional might seem daunting. But for Michael, it’s a part of a deep and enduring family passion for nature. 

“I always enjoyed being in the woods,” he said. “My mother nurtured my interest in wildlife and, as I got older, I got into hunting, trapping. I’ve just always have enjoyed being outdoors.”