Crop Insurance Today August 2013 - (Page 1)

TODAY PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE “It could be, it might be, it is!” Baseball Insights for Crop Insurance Summer is upon us as this issue of TODAY® goes to press, and what is summer without some baseball? Personally, I am not an avid baseball fan, but I have fallen in and out of love with the Cubbies over the years, and I do enjoy catching some of the College World Series if scheduling permits. Sports and sporting events can serve as a wonderful metaphor on life, and baseball is no exception. With that in mind, let’s pull out some trusty baseball quotes—and maybe an obscure quote or two and see if we can gain some insight, possible inspiration, and perspective about our Industry from some of the great sages of our national pastime. So, let’s Play Ball! Laurie Langstraat, Editor TODAY® IS PROVIDED AS A SERVICE OF NATIONAL CROP INSURANCE SERVICES® TO EDUCATE READERS ABOUT THE RISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS PRODUCERS USE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE. TODAY is published quarterly–February, May, August, and November by National Crop Insurance Services 8900 Indian Creek Parkway, Suite 600 Overland Park, Kansas 66210 www.ag-risk.org If you move, or if your address is incorrect, please send old address label clipped from recent issue along with your new or corrected address to Donna Bryan, at the above address. NCIS® EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Tim Weber, Chairman Mike Day, Vice Chairman Jim Korin, Second Vice Chairman NCIS® MANAGEMENT Thomas P. Zacharias, President Charles Lee, General Counsel James M. Crist, CFO/COO Frank Schnapp, Senior Vice President Mike Sieben, Senior Vice President Creative Layout and Design by Graphic Arts of Topeka, Inc., Kansas Tom Zacharias, NCIS President Yogi Berra and the Farm Bill Well, no agriculturally based trade magazine can respectably miss an issue these days without some commentary on the farm bill. Given the state of affairs in D.C. these days, it won’t be tough to knock this one “outta” the park. Yogi-ism #1) “It’s like deja vu all over again.” September 30 is just not that far away, and without legislative movement, we could be on the verge of another farm bill extension. Or to shift gears and quote Jerry Jeff Walker “...we’ve been down this road once or twice before...” Fortunately, crop insurance is under permanent law, and as such remains the fundamental element of the farm safety net. This is a good thing. Farmers can rely on crop insurance, as can the farm lending community. Yogi-ism #2) “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” Because the “game” is still being played, Industry must still remain focused, not only on farm bill deliberations, but on the business at hand, serving our customers. It is unclear where the farm bill process will land, and there is a great deal at stake for our Industry. But more importantly, there is more at stake for the farmers and ranchers we serve. While we all await the bottom of the 9th, we need to stay on our toes, know the situation of the game, and be ready if the ball is hit to us. Harry Caray and Service to Our Customers Here I defer to the voice of the Chicago Cubs; the late, great Harry Caray. “I know it is the fans that are responsible for me being here. I’ve always tried in each and every broadcast to serve the fans to the best of my ability.” Working and striving to the best of our ability is all we can ever do. We will make mistakes, we will get frustrated, and even if we are called out at home, we need to dust ourselves off and continue to do our jobs serving agriculture as best we can the next time we are up to bat. Continued on page 30 Printed on recycled paper. Printed with Environmentally friendly vegetable oil based inks. ® CropInsurance TODAY® CropInsurance TODAY 1 1 http://www.ag-risk.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crop Insurance Today August 2013

"It could be, it might be, it is!" Baseball Insights for Crop Insurance
The PRISM Climate and Weather System An Introduction
Crop Insurance In Action
2012 U.S. Crop-Hail & MPCI Loss Ratio By State
2012 Research Review
Incorporating Crop Insurance Decisions into a Risk Management Plan
Step 10-Documenting, Sharing and Revising
Dave Snider Retires

Crop Insurance Today August 2013