Stock Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]

NOTE 13 - STOCK BASED COMPENSATION

During 2017, the Company, with the approval of shareholders, created the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”). The 2017 Plan permits the award of up to 800 thousand shares to the Company’s directors and employees to attract and retain exceptional personnel, motivate performance and most importantly to help align the interests of Farmers’ executives with those of the Company’s shareholders. There were 63,248 service time based shares and 64,993 performance based shares granted under the 2017 Plan during the year ended December 31, 2017, as shown in the table below. The actual number of performance based stock awards issued will depend on certain performance conditions which are mainly average return on equity compared to a group of peer companies over a three year vesting period.

During 2012, the Company, with the approval of shareholders, created the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2012 Plan”). The 2012 Plan permits the award of up to 500 thousand shares to the Company’s directors and employees to promote the Company’s long-term financial success by motivating performance through long-term incentive compensation and to better align the interests of its employees with those of its shareholders. There were no additional shares granted under the Plan during 2017 as detailed in the table below. Any new restricted stock awards will be issued under the 2017 Plan described above.

The restricted stock awards were granted with a fair value price equal to the market price of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant. Expense recognized for both Plans was $2.4 million for 2017, $892 thousand for 2016 and $486 thousand for 2015. As of December 31, 2017, there was $1.3 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to the non-vested shares granted under the Plan. The remaining cost is expected to be recognized over the next 2 years.

The following is the activity under the Plans during the years ended December 31, 2017:

	2017 Incentive Plan					2012 Incentive Plan
	Maximum Awarded Units			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Maximum Awarded Units			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Beginning balance - nonvested shares		0		$	0.00		499,390		$	8.30
Granted		128,241			13.77		0			0
Vested		0			0		(21,928	)		7.14
Forfeited		(3,623	)		13.53		(12,234	)		8.28
Ending balance - nonvested shares		124,618		$	13.77		465,228		$	8.14