I was approached by NAU to ask me to encourage more Farmers Union members to consider NAU crop insurance in 2016. I don’t like to mess in members personal business and feel that I owe you a more thorough explanation of why I am agreeing to do this than what the accompanying promo letter gets into.

The long and the short of it, from my perspective, is the Use of Name Fee. The operational budget of both Kansas Farmers Union and National Farmers Union rely heavily on Use of Name Fee income. Both KFU and NFU receive the Use of Name Fee when business is written through NAU. We do not receive any Use of Name Fee income from Rain & Hail.

As you well know, crop insurance is a funky system where the cost of the crop insurance premium can’t be changed by competing companies. So wherever you buy your crop insurance, the premiums are the same. How companies compete with each other is by service and performance.
I would be hesitant to agree to promote NAU, as I am here, if it was a startup or had a questionable track record, but it is well-established and is very well respected in the industry.

This is one of those situations when you are sitting down with your agent and by just suggesting “Why don’t we write my farm with NAU instead of Rain & Hail?” you can make a significant difference in the financial ability of your farm organization to represent your interests in growing rural Kansas prosperity. Thanks.

Now, on with the form letter……….

The nature of agriculture in our modern era is that it is more risky than ever. In 2012, the biggest drought to strike the nation since the Dust Bowl withered the Midwest. And just a few years later, commodity prices took a nosedive just as farmers where beginning to fully recover from the crippling drought. In a world characterized not only by the massive weather extremes from climate change but also periods of incredible volatility in the world commodity markets, risk management tools are more critical than ever.

Most of you are thinking ahead to the next growing season. And while it’s great to plan for what will be happening – buying inputs, equipment and other expenses – it’s equally important that you plan for what could happen as well. Evaluating your risk management tools may be a part of your seasonal, yearly or maybe even an infrequent planning schedule, but as you take a look at your safety nets, I’d ask that you keep in mind who your crop insurance provider is.

It’s likely you’ve spent years with the same crop insurance provider, and many of you probably haven’t even considered a switch. You may wonder what the difference is, and why you should switch if the price won’t change. Well, I’d like to ask you today to consider a switch to NAU – a Farmers Union Insurance partner.

NAU Insurance Company provides farmers with quality crop insurance service, technology and unequaled customer service. NAU policies can be written through your Farmers Union Insurance (FUI) agent – FUI was originally created by our members for our members and is now owned by QBE, just as NAU is owned by QBE. By switching to NAU, you’re supporting Farmers Union and all that the organization stands for: policies that benefit family agriculture, educational opportunities that empower the next generation of farmers, and cooperative and rural development.

Your switch is not just in the name of the brand, but it’s also in the quality of service and technology, and perhaps most importantly the customer care that your insurer provides. NAU is the third largest crop insurance provider in the nation and has a strong force of crop insurance adjusters. This means that when you suffer a loss, their adjusters are in your fields in days, not weeks, assessing the damage and getting your claim processed. You can be sure that you’ll be receiving quick and accurate service with an excellent turnaround time from claim to check. They have also recently developed a new tool that speeds up their claim processing, meaning you get your checks quicker and with more ease than ever before.

In short, they know that you have suffered a major economic loss and that you need these funds fast. They know that in some cases, the future of your farm and your farming career depends on their ability to turn these claims around on a dime. And they deliver.

So as you plan for the upcoming growing season, I encourage you to ask that your crop insurance be placed through NAU. You can do this through your Farmers Union partner agency. If you have any questions, contact us and we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction. The cost is the same, but the benefit will be multiplied, since you’ll receive superior customer service while helping fund Farmers Union to fight for family farmers and ranchers.

Thanks, Donn