Community Spotlight

In small towns across Nebraska, the members of local volunteer fire departments wear a lot of hats – after all, everyone has their day job in addition to being a volunteer. In the town of Jansen, population 100, they even do most of their fundraising themselves. Jansen is in rural Jefferson County, about 6 miles […]

When a community embraces a good idea, great things are bound to happen. Like when 21 people came together to form the Weeping Water Community Boosters.

Farmers & Merchants Bank has a long, rich history in Nebraska that began in the mid-1800s and still lives on today. Over the last 163 years, the bank has donated money to local projects, purchased new branches in amazing towns, and assisted with community cleanups. What a time it’s been!  Below, you’ll see the impact […]

Their goal is simple — to provide nutritious food, free of charge, to people in need. And this is just one of the reasons Panama Presbyterian Food Distribution was picked as a Hometown Pride winner.

Congratulations to our Hometown Pride winner: The Pleasant Dale Volunteer Fire Department!

Congratulations to our Hometown Pride winner: The Ericson Volunteer Fire Department! This organization serves the community with quality fire protection and rescue service and helps area ranchers accomplish controlled burns to improve their pastures. What makes this group truly special is that everyone involved is a volunteer. “We have a great group of volunteers interested […]

Congratulations to our Hometown Pride winner: Blue Rivers Area Agency on Aging. This organization provides coordinated and comprehensive home-based services like meal deliveries for older individuals to maintain safe, healthy, and independent lifestyles as they age in place. But how did the organization start? Years ago, the Older Americans Act laid the foundation and mandated […]

Congratulations to our Hometown Pride winner: The Revitalization Association of Weeping Water (RAWW). This organization is focused on creating a thriving community through projects that honor Weeping Water’s unique history, while promoting the people and events of the city. RAWW’s board chairs four committees: design, promotion, organization, and economic revitalization. Each one plays a pivotal […]

Congratulations to our very first Hometown Pride winner: The Southern Nebraska Arts Council (SNAC) of Superior. Small-town theatres have been experiencing a drastic, and expensive, technological shift as movies went from big reels to digital. The previous owners of the Crest Theatre in Superior couldn’t afford to make the change. SNAC was formed by community […]

At Farmers & Merchants Bank, we’re love focusing on our communities. Whenever we get the chance to spotlight how amazing a community is or support a local event, we do that. We’re proud to support the heroes and businesses that make our communities what they are today. Here’s a quick recap of all twelve communities. […]