Helle and Schafer Elected to Northwest FCS Board of Directors

SPOKANE, Wash. (March 14, 2017) - Stockholders of Northwest Farm Credit Services re-elected John Helle of Dillon, Montana, and elected Derek Schafer of Ritzville, Washington, to the Northwest FCS Board of Directors. They will each serve five-year terms.John Helle is a rancher and an owner of Helle Livestock, Rebish & Helle, and HR Wool LLC, multigenerational family businesses that raise sheep, cattle, hay and small grains and produce wool products. A Northwest FCS customer since 1999, Helle had served one five-year term and was chair of the Strategy Committee for one year before his re-election to the board. He has also served as a Northwest FCS local advisor. Helle also represents the American Sheep Industry (ASI) on the National Public Lands Council; co-chairs the Resource Management Council and is a member of the Public Lands Committee and Wool Roundtable of ASI; the Montana Wool Growers Assn. where he chairs the Land Use Committee and serves on the MSU Advisory Committee; and serves on the MSU Animal and Range Science Advisory Committee.Derek Schafer is a full-time farmer and president of the Family Plow, Inc. and Homestead Family Grain Co.; vice president of Schafer Ranch Ltd and More Prophet Seeding, Ltd.; and treasurer of Fields & Furrows Inc. His fifth-generation family grain farm operation includes his wife, Susan, their two children and his parents. Schafer has been a Northwest FCS customer for 14 years and has been a local advisor, and served on the Northwest FCS Nominating Committee in 2013. He’s a board member of Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association; treasurer of the Adams County Association of Wheat Growers and lifetime member of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers; and president of the Lind Ritzville FFA Alumni Council.In addition to Helle and Schafer, members of the Northwest FCS board are Christy Burmeister-Smith, Newman Lake, Washington; Susan K. Doverspike, Burns, Oregon; Jim Farmer, Nyssa, Oregon; Skip Gray, Albany, Oregon; David Hedlin, Mt. Vernon, Washington, Greg Hirai, Wendell, Idaho; Herb Karst, Billings, Montana; Dave Nisbet, Bay Center, Washington; Nate Riggers, Nezperce, Idaho; Karen Schott, Broadview, Montana; Julie Shiflett, Spokane, Washington; and Shawn Walters, Newdale, Idaho.