Farm Loan Officer Trainees Get Experience in Winner

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

Two farm loan officer trainees are working at the Farm Service Agency in Winner.

Working as trainees are Jenna Ripp and Becca Kartak.

Ripp grew up on a dairy farm in Dimock and graduated from Parkston High School in 2012. She graduated from South Dakota State University in 2016 with a degree in ag business and a minor in ag marketing.

Ripp started as a trainee at the FSA office in Chamberlain and was there for a year before moving to Winner. Since the end of November Ripp has worked in the Winner office.

Ripp said the last two years of college she worked for the temporary program tech an FSA office. When she graduated from college here were openings for a loan officer trainee, so she applied for the Chamberlain position.

Ripp has always had in interest in agriculture and being an advocate for agriculture.

As a trainee, she has helped young farmers and helped them get a start and then watch their operation grow.

Kartak has been a trainee in the Winner office since January. She graduated from Colome High School in 2011 and from Eastern Wyoming College in 2015. She has two associate degrees in agribusiness and farm and ranch business management.
In October of 2015, Kartak worked on the county side of the FSA office and then applied for the position as a farm loan officer trainee.

Kartak says she likes working with the producers.

Trainees are required to send so many dockets to the state office for their approval before becoming a full fledged loan officer.
The local supervisor for Ripp and Kartak is Marty Mortenson.