April is Community Banking Month, and as this month draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on what community banking actually means — not just in words, but in action.
For Farmers & Merchants State Bank, it means that when a local food shelf needs support, we show up. When a student needs a scholarship to pursue their dream, we invest. When a farmer needs a partner for the next growing season, we’re at the table. And when our communities need more than a bank — they need neighbors — that’s exactly what we aim to be.
In 2025, the bank made nearly 1,000 hours of paid volunteer time available to our team members to use across our communities. Ninety-five percent of our employees volunteered for at least one community event. We supported 154 events and causes, gave over 2% of our pre-tax profits back, and together with the generous Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Des Moines Impact Fund’s 3-to-1 match, delivered $320,000 to programs and projects across Pierz, Eden Valley, Sauk Rapids, and the surrounding areas.
But behind every one of those numbers is a real story — a family, a classroom, a small business, a neighbor who needed a hand. That’s the part we never want to lose sight of.
Community banking isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. For nearly 120 years, we’ve been locally owned and operated — rooted in the same small towns, farms, and neighborhoods we serve. Thank you for trusting us to be part of your stories.
Explore our full 2025 Community Impact Giving Report and see the difference your community bank is making → Read it Now!