Investments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Investments consist of the following:


(in thousands)	September 30, 2021		December 31, 2020
SERP Investments at fair value	$	2,165	$	2,687
Cost method investments	10,905		10,536
Equity method investments	340		546
Total investments	$	13,410	$	13,769

SERP Investments at Fair Value: The Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) is a benefit plan that provides deferred compensation to certain employees. The Company holds the related investments in a rabbi trust as a source of funding for future payments under the plan. The SERP’s investments were designated as trading securities and will be liquidated and

paid out to the participants upon retirement. The benefit obligation to participants is always equal to the value of the SERP assets under ASC 710, Compensation. Changes to the investments' fair value are presented in Other income (expense), while the reciprocal changes in the liability are presented in selling, general and administrative expense. At September 30, 2021, an additional $0.9 million of SERP investments were presented as prepaid expenses and other (current assets) as we intend to liquidate certain investments to pay the current portion of our SERP obligation.

Cost Method Investments: Our investment in CoBank ACB’s Class A common stock represented substantially all of our cost method investments with a balance of $10.1 million and $9.8 million at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. We recognized approximately $0.5 million and $1.0 million of patronage income in Other income (expense) during the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and approximately $1.5 million and $3.0 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Historically, approximately 75% of the patronage distributions were collected in cash and 25% in equity.

Equity Method Investments: At September 30, 2021, the Company had a 20.0% ownership interest in Valley Network Partnership (“ValleyNet”). The Company and ValleyNet purchase capacity on one another’s fiber network. We recognized revenue of $0.2 million from providing service to ValleyNet during each of the three months ended September 30, 2021, and 2020, respectively, and $0.5 million and $0.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2021, and 2020, respectively. We recognized cost of service of $30 thousand and $0.7 million for the use of ValleyNet’s network during the three months ended September 30, 2021, and 2020, respectively, and $1.1 million and $2.2 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.