DATE: March 12, 2008

CONTACT: Dr. Johnny Jordan, (864) 723-2785
jjordan@clemson.edu

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343, ext. 241
tlollis@clemson.edu

Clemson to host Southeast Ag Lending School

CLEMSON — For the 25^th year Clemson University will host a five-day Southeastern Agricultural Lenders School (SEALS) April 28-May 2 to teach loan officers how to evaluate their farm customers and understand the environment in which they operate.

“The purpose for SEALS has always been to prepare ag lenders to make better loan decisions,” said agricultural economist Johnny Jordan, Clemson University professor emeritus and SEALS executive director. “Bad loans are not good for anyone, including the farmer.”

To reduce that risk, the curriculum includes more than 30 hours of hands-on instruction with problem-solving approaches to real life case studies. The school will be held at the Madren Center on the Clemson campus.

Participants will get a look at topics such as evaluating  management, the 2008 Farm Bill and federal agricultural policy, the economic outlook for 2008, megatrends in ag lending and real estate investments. Students will find out what’s in the risk management toolbox and how to use credit analysis tools.

The SEALS instructors will include: Jordan and Scott Mickey from Clemson University; David Kohl, professor emeritus from Virginia Tech; Ed Seifried of Lafayette College; and Barry Flinchbaugh of Kansas State University.

“The highlight will be May 1, when Kohl, Seifried and Flinchbaugh offer a peek at major changes coming in the next decade during an ‘Agriculture at a Crossroads Conference,’ ” said Jordan. “These are three of the most thought-provoking speakers in agriculture, and we have decided to open their presentations up to anyone who wants to come.”

The registration fee for SEALS is $995 if received before April 1. The registration for the Crossroads Conference is $150 if received before April 1.  

Individuals can register for both at www.aglenderschool.com. For more information contact Scott A. Mickey, Clemson University farm business consultant, at cscfma1@ftc-i.net, or Suzanne Coker at (803) 775-4580 or (803) 968-0645.

The SEALS short-course has space for 35 students. More than 600 students have graduated from the school since its inception in 1984.

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