2024 Select Partners Symposium

Ohio Farm Bureau and Nationwide recently hosted a symposium where they invited the state’s best farm-focused insurance agents to discuss the robust relationship between the two organizations, and to strengthen the relationship between all parties.

The agents who attended the symposium, 39 in total, are all part of Ohio Farm Bureau’s Select Partner Program, an insurance and financial services preferred partnership program for Ohio’s agricultural community. All participating agencies and advisors are endorsed by a county Farm Bureau, with vetting by local farmers and ag professionals.

“These agents are vital when it comes to protecting our members with quality Nationwide farm insurance products and giving them solutions needed to ensure their business is successful,” said Ohio Farm Bureau President Bill Patterson. “They are also incredible partners with county Farm Bureaus, supporting programs designed to grow our organization and improve the well-being of our communities throughout rural Ohio.”

To become an Ohio Farm Bureau Select Partner, participants pledge to provide the best in consultative service. The partnership pledge puts the needs of the member at the center of service, which is not accomplished by selling products: It is accomplished by serving as a consultant and advisor ensuring the solutions provided best meet the member’s needs.

Select partners pledge to:
  • Work with members to fully understand their risks from top to bottom.
  • Always include and offer the best protection, solutions and options available on the market.
  • Provide excellent service, including a detailed explanation of the coverage and options available.
  • Conduct regular business operation and portfolio reviews annually or as needed.
  • Be responsive and offer innovative business strategies and solutions as part of the service.
  • Commit to continued educational development for staff and staying at the forefront of industry innovations.
  • Commit to working together to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.
Faulk and Ruhl
Nationwide Agribusiness Territory Sales Manager Mary Ann Faulk and Chad Ruhl

“Thinking back some 20 plus years when I first started, we didn’t have anything like this. We were trained that the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau relationship was all about the discount,” said Select Partner Chad Ruhl, farm manager with CSI Insurance. “Through the Select Partner Program, I realized how much more there was to the relationship. We became educated in farm insurance and weren’t just selling policies. We learned about lawsuits, pollution, agritourism, all the things we design policies to protect against. We discovered trends in these areas and it became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau to have a voice in the lawmaking process.”

To find an Ohio Farm Bureau Select Partner that is right for you, visit the program’s website or  contact your local Farm Bureau.

 

 

Feature photo caption: Adam Sharp, Ohio Farm Bureau executive vice president (left) and Dirk Pollitt, vice president, Nationwide Agribusiness

Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
Mandy Way's avatar
Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
Ernie Welch's avatar
Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
Jared Hughes's avatar
Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
Austin Heil's avatar
Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
Suggested Tags: