Crop Insurance Today August 2016 - 35

changed dramatically in the past few decades and hopefully (and in my estimation) both have changed for the better. The overall cost of farm programs has declined and farmers shoulder more of the cost of the farm safety net and at the same time have more choices and opportunities to manage their risk with the range of choices available through crop insurance and the 2014 Farm Bill. However, as this publication goes to press, there have been recent concerns expressed about the efficacy of the current safety net given the farm economy we are now facing. True enough, we live in uncertain times, and no policy is perfect, ergo, the need for continual re-evaluation with a dose of Zen mixed in. That is, let us not be too hard on ourselves- there are a lot of sincere, hard-working individuals attempting to improve agriculture for the betterment of us all. If it was easy, we would have fixed it by now. In This Issue In addition to the article explaining the results of the farm policy/crop insurance survey I mentioned earlier, this issue of TODAY features a story about Matt Fisher, a farmer who agrees that crop insurance is extremely important. Matt grows citrus on a California farm that has been in his family for several generations, and with the multi-year drought raging in his state, he says, "It's very, very important in what we do." In the early 90's, Matt's family didn't have crop insurance and a freeze wiped out their crop that year and the next year. "Our family operation almost went broke at that time, but we were able to fight our way back. And now we buy crop insurance." Did you know that the NCIS agronomic research program has been ongoing for more than 90 years? All of that research, on growing crops all across the country, is vital to ensure that, when crops are damaged by hail, wind, or any other peril, farmers know the procedures are based on scientific evidence and the indemnity they are paid is fair. Every NCIS member uses these important loss adjustment procedures and without this research, adjusting losses would be nothing but an educated guess. The results of the 2015 research programs are in and are summarized for you beginning on page 6. It is important to note that these projects are conducted over a three-year period, and one year's results cannot be used on their own. These results will be studied and incorporated into the applicable crop procedures once the studies are completed. We also highlight just one of the many summer loss adjuster schools and field days sponsored by NCIS and the NCIS regional/ state committees. The Montana Committee always does a great job with their schools, and this year was no exception. Be watching for a full recap of all of our loss adjuster activities in the November issue of TODAY. Lastly, we introduce you to Mike Day, the new Chairman of the NCIS Board of Directors. Mike has been involved in crop insurance for many years and brings a wealth of knowledge to our Board and his new role as Chairman. Mike succeeds Tim Weber, who served as Chairman the last four years. We thank Mr. Weber for his leadership and are grateful that he remains a valuable member of the Board. Enjoy this issue and we wish you all a great Fall! NCIS INDUSTRY AWARDS The NCIS industry awards were established in 2001 to honor those individuals who provide exemplary service to the industry as a whole and/or to producers. The award criteria has been changed slightly and a new award category has been added. Outstanding Service Award This award is presented to a crop insurance agent or individual outside of the industry who provides exceptional service industry-wide and outstanding outreach efforts to all farmers, especially limited-resource and/or socially disadvantaged farmers. Industry Leadership Award This award, targeted primarily to members of the NCIS regional/state cop insurance and/or NCIS standing committees recognizes individuals who are directly involved in the crop insurance industry and who consistently serve the industry by providing outstanding leadership. One award may be given to a member of a regional/state crop insurance committee and/or a member of a standing committee. Lifetime Achievement Award This new category of award will be given to those people who have VisitWebsite ag-risk.org served or are currently serving in leadership capacities within the industry who exhibit(ed) outstanding leadership, guidance and knowledge to and of the crop insurance industry. Criteria for all awards are: 1. Unyielding personal and business ethics. 2. Demonstrated service above and beyond the crop insurance industry. 3. Represents themselves, their company and the crop insurance industry well. The winners will be presented with their awards at the crop insurance industry annual convention held in February of each year. All nominations must be submitted in writing to NCIS by October 15, 2016, for awards to be presented at the 2017 Annual Convention. For nomination information and forms to be submitted, please visit the NCIS website at www.ag-risk.org to download. If you have any questions regarding the criteria or whom is eligible for the awards, please contact Laurie Langstraat at NCIS at lauriel@ag-risk.org or 913-685-2767. CROPINSURANCE TODAY® 35 http://www.ag-risk.org http://www.ag-risk.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crop Insurance Today August 2016