During the System’s earliest years, #FarmCredit helped farmers with long-term loans for homes and land, but short-term loans for production—to raise crops, buy livestock, and keep the farm going—were not yet available. This month marks the 81st anniversary of Farm Credit’s commitment to providing its members with short-term credit. On September 28, 1933, Ed Bates, a livestock farmer from Tolono, Illinois, became the first person in the country to apply for a production credit loan. Today, Farm Credit Illinois serves Champaign County. #ThrowbackThursday #ag #TBT #FarmCredit100