Community 1st Credit Union Announces Youth Heifer Program Participants

posted on Thursday, May 28, 2026 in Announcements

Community 1st Credit Union proudly announces the selection of three students for its 2025 Youth Heifer Program, an initiative that provides 7th and 8th graders with a five-year, interest-free loan to support the start of their own cattle herd and build real-world financial and agricultural experience. This year’s selected participants are: Tucker Amstutz of Bloomfield, Iowa; Cassidy Kennedy of Atlantic, Iowa; and Jaxen Knobbe of Guthrie Center, Iowa.

The Youth Heifer Program offers students an opportunity to receive up to five bred heifers, financed through a zero-interest, five-year loan from C1st. Throughout the program, participants will gain hands-on experience in herd care and financial management while completing annual progress reports, tracking their herd’s growth, and building long-term goals.

“We are thrilled to partner with these incredible students and support them throughout their five-year journey,” said Whitney Ballanger, Commercial and Agriculture Lender with Community 1st Credit Union. “This program helps young people learn lifelong skills in responsibility, financial planning, and agricultural entrepreneurship — all while growing something they can truly call their own.”

Each participant will work closely with C1st’s Agriculture Lending Team throughout the loan and herd development process. In addition to financial support, students gain access to local mentors, agricultural resources, and ongoing check-ins to help them build confidence in both financial decision-making and herd management.

“Programs like this change lives,” added Ballanger. “By the end of five years, these young producers will have not only grown a herd, but also developed critical skills that prepare them for future success.”

The three selected students received their heifers in December, marking the official start of their five-year journey with C1st.