A Countryside Dream
A family trip to rural America can offer many things: fresh air, time to unplug, some peace of mind. For Ryan and Leslie Moore, a week at their deer lease in rural Texas turned into what Ryan described as their “aha moment.”
“We looked at each other and said, we just spent a week out here, the kids weren’t on their phones, they weren’t on their video games,” he said. “They were going through the woods. All they cared about was the animals and the land. And that was a moment Leslie and I connected and said, ‘We gotta do something.’”
That moment inspired the family to seek out a home in the country to raise their two children with a blend of city and country living. Ryan started making phone calls, and that’s when a ranch broker referred him to Gerrit Schouten, a loan officer at AgTrust Farm Credit.
“Going into this, we were a little bit intimidated,” Ryan said. “We weren’t really sure how lending worked. Gerrit picked up that phone call that day, and it was the most incredible financing experience I’ve ever had in my life. He made it so simple to understand everything, made us feel very comfortable and became a partner to us as we moved through the process.”
For Gerrit, borrowers like the Moores aren’t just customers—they’re strong relationships.
“You get to learn about the family and you build a relationship,” he said. “And that’s what we’re about. We’re relationship lenders and we take pride in that.”
Sharing Success
AgTrust Farm Credit, like all Farm Credit associations, is a member-owned cooperative. That means that borrowers like the Moores are customer-owners who contribute to AgTrust’s financial strength and share in its earnings through annual patronage dividends.
“When [Gerrit] told us about the patronage, that was just a cherry on top,” Ryan said. “What a cool deal that was. We weren’t expecting that and the fact that it actually, at the end of the day, lowers your rate.”
Building a Family Legacy
As the Moores begin to make fresh memories on their new property, Ryan and Leslie hope the home can be enjoyed by family for generations to come.
“I’m so grateful that we’re able to do this for our kids,” she said. “For years to come, they can come down here with their friends. I look forward to having my grandkids come down and play at this property.”
For Ryan, the rural home offers the opportunity to create the generational dwelling that is difficult to replicate in the city.
“In the city, you never hear ‘my great-grandparents lived in this house, and now we do.’ But you do hear that in the country, you hear ‘this piece of property has been in my family for a hundred years,’” he said. “I hope this one’s in ours for that. Hopefully, it stays in the family for generations to come and can be passed on.”
