Investments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Investments consist of the following:


(in thousands)	September 30, 2022		December 31, 2021
SERP investments at fair value	$	1,739	$	2,317
Cost method investments	10,742		11,004
Equity method investments	303		340
Total investments	$	12,784	$	13,661

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. The fair value of the SERP investments are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets and are classified as Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. 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 December 31, 2021, $0.8 million of SERP investments were presented as prepaid expenses and other (current assets). Those investments were liquidated in July 2022 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 $10.0 million and $10.3 million at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. We recognized approximately $13.7 thousand and $0.5 million of patronage income in other income for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and approximately $40.5 thousand and $1.5 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Historically, approximately 75% of the patronage distributions were received in cash and 25% in equity.

Equity Method Investments: At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 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, through related party transactions. We recognized revenue of $0.1 million and $0.2 million during the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $0.5 million and $0.5 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We recognized cost of service of $19.2 thousand and $30 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $73.6 thousand and $1.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.