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

The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
Jody Brown Boyd's avatar
Jody Brown Boyd

Brown's Family Farm Market

Finding farm labor
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
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
David Thomas's avatar
David Thomas

Ashtabula County Auditor

CAUV: Past, present and future
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
Hannah Kiser's avatar
Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
Chad Ruhl's avatar
Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
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
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