How the Aledo FBFM team uses strong community ties and a team approach to serve cooperators

FBFM isn’t just a network of offices helping farmers with their financial management. In each location across Indiana and Illinois, local professionals make recommendations based on their own understanding of the region, the realities of farming, and your specific operation. 

The FBFM office in Aledo, Illinois, serves a broad territory across western Illinois, with clients extending into parts of northern and central Illinois.

While those farmers may be located in different parts of the state and have different operating practices, they all have one thing in common: a trusted partnership with the Aledo team.

Close ties and strong community involvement

That team is led by Farm Business Consultants Eliza Sherrill, who has been serving the Aledo office for three years, and Jed Metzger, who spent a decade in FBFM’s Bloomington office before joining the Aledo team three years ago. Joe Shepherd handles payroll, accounting, and general office support. During tax season, Advisor Mike Shepherd joins the office full-time, playing a vital role in keeping operations running efficiently. Before transitioning into his advisor role, Mike served as Aledo’s sole FBFM consultant for more than 30 years.

The small but mighty team is committed to making the client experience as seamless as possible. They work together as a team to ensure every cooperator receives the support and service they need.

“We like to think of our clients as Aledo clients rather than just Jed’s or Eliza’s clients.” Sherrill said. “That approach helps us work more efficiently. If a client stops by while one of us is out on a farm visit, the other can usually help with what they need or at least get them started. Having a good understanding of each client’s operation—or at least the basics of what’s going on—allows us to provide better service and keeps things running smoothly in the office”

Their reliability pays dividends for everyone. Producers are able to strengthen their farm financials, meet their tax obligations, and have a partner in their corner they can always go to for questions. In return, they send the Aledo team a stream of referrals. Farmers they’ve worked with often ask some version of, “Can you do my sister’s/mom’s/cousin’s tax return?”

On top of getting to know the whole family of the cooperators they work with, Aledo’s office also makes it a point to stay as involved as possible in community events. They donate to the local FFA and 4-H organizations, attend the banquets, participate in the town’s annual rodeo parade, and more. 

“I saw that other offices were very involved in their communities, and I wanted our Aledo office to be the same way,” Sherrill said. “I grew up on a family farm and was very involved in FFA and 4-H, which gave me so many opportunities. I wanted to give back to the agricultural community and help provide those same opportunities for others.”

Keeping local farms strong for future generations

The FBFM Aledo team works hard each tax season to correctly file cooperators’ tax returns and minimize their tax obligations. Each summer, they do on-farm visits to do a mid-year check-in, build out a rough tax plan — and just to chat with the family. Year round, they help cooperators manage accounting and general business tasks. 

But they also keep the lens focused on the future. Estate and transition planning has been a bigger and bigger focus in recent years for the Aledo office. 

“Farmers are concerned about transitioning their operations to the next generation, especially in today’s economic environment,” Sherrill said. “In Illinois, the estate tax exemption is $4 million, and it doesn’t take much farmland and equipment to reach that value anymore. Many farmers are asset-rich but cash-poor, so proper estate planning is important to help ensure the next generation can continue operating the farm without being forced to sell land to cover estate tax obligations.”

Estate planning isn’t always farmers’ favorite topic to discuss, but it can be one of the most important steps they take to position their operation for long-term success. The Aledo team helps ease the stress, streamline the process, and often has a seat at the table when a cooperator meets with their attorney. Not every attorney specializes in farm estate planning or is familiar with the unique agricultural tax provisions and farm-specific considerations involved, so having a partner like FBFM at the meeting helps ensure those issues are addressed when developing an estate plan.

In Aledo, everyone on the FBFM team has longstanding ties to the surrounding agricultural community. So it’s even more fulfilling to serve a role in keeping the region’s farms financially sound and prepared for the future. 

“Seeing those transition plans come through is really important,” Sherrill said. “And seeing that operation you’ve been working with for so long continue to grow and evolve and stay in business in this economy is really meaningful.” 

If you’re looking to set up your own transition plan, need a little more accounting help, or just want to stop in and say hi to the FBFM cooperators in your area, find your local FBFM office. Connect with the team and learn more about the people who support farmers in your region.