Dot the Trees

Insure.ag

Crop insurance, minus the jargon. Dot the Trees is real talk for growers and the people who serve them, hosted by Josh Benson, Head of Agent Relations at Insure.ag. Each episode sits down with the people behind American specialty crops: agents, adjusters, claims supervisors, policy minds in DC, and growers themselves. What's changing in the industry, what actually matters at the farm gate, and what nobody takes the time to explain. From Insure.ag. Farmer first crop insurance.

Episodes

  1. Oct 26

    Jared Witters, Great American: Inside the claims process, and why you should always file

    What actually happens after you call your agent about damage? Jared Witters, Pacific Northwest Claim Supervisor at Great American Insurance, walks Josh Benson through the whole claims process, from the first notice of loss to the check in the mail. Jared grew up a military brat with Washington roots, met his wife on a volleyball court thirty years ago, and found his way to crop insurance through retail management, auto and homeowners claims, and an agency front office. Thirteen years at Great American later, he supervises claims in the most specialty-crop-dense region in the country, and he still adjusts claims himself. In this episode: What a claim supervisor actually does, and why Jared expects his adjusters to contact the agent and the grower within 24 hours of assignmentThe claims process step by step: notice of loss, assignment, inspection, production records, signatures, and a check about seven days after you signReplant, prevent plant and harvest claims, and why seed crop growers should file every year during the insurance windowWhy you should check your schedule of insurance the day it arrives. Early errors can be fixed; once a claim is open, they usually cannotThe record keeping habit that makes everything smoother: keep settlement sheets, bin counts and load records for about seven yearsWhole farm revenue protection: if you think you have suffered a loss, file the claim. Don't wait for your taxesThe myth to retire for good: filing a claim does not raise your rates and does not get your policy cancelled. Worst case, it is a withdrawal If you think you have suffered damage, file a claim. Learn more about Great American's crop division: https://greatamericancrop.comGreat American Insurance Company is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Dot the Trees is the insure.ag podcast. It covers specialty crops and the safety net behind them, in plain language. More at https://www.insure.ag/crop-insurance-podcast/ This podcast is for general educational purposes only and is not insurance advice.

  2. Oct 19

    Jennifer Witherbee, WAEF: $1.3M in scholarships and the tree fruit families behind them

    How do you change a family’s trajectory for generations? Jennifer Witherbee, Executive Director of the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF), tells Josh Benson how the tree fruit industry does it. Jennifer grew up in a tree fruit family in the Chelan area. She joined WAEF in 2001, spent a few years at Larson Gross, and then came back. She and Josh talk about why the foundation “captures your heart,” and how the industry built a scholarship program that stays with students all the way to graduation. In this episode:– WAEF’s largest year yet: more than $1.3 million in scholarships for 322 students– Why scholarships are renewed every year, not just the first, and how that keeps more than 90% of WAEF students on track– Scholarships for vocational and technical programs as well as universities– How about 300 volunteers help students explore careers and build a network, and how you can join them with your time and experience– The November match campaign, with gifts matched by insure.ag, CMI Orchards, BASF and Bayer Crop Science– Jennifer’s one ask for every orchard, warehouse and packing house: make sure eligible students know the scholarship application is open Learn more about WAEF: https://waef.orgApply for a scholarship: https://waef.org/scholarshipsDonate: https://waef.org/donateVolunteer: https://waef.org/volunteerConnect with Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-witherbee-4741b13a Dot the Trees is the insure.ag podcast. It covers specialty crops and the safety net behind them, in plain language. More at https://www.insure.ag/crop-insurance-podcast/ This podcast is for general educational purposes only and is not insurance advice.

    Jennifer Witherbee, WAEF: $1.3M in scholarships and the tree fruit families behind them

About

Crop insurance, minus the jargon. Dot the Trees is real talk for growers and the people who serve them, hosted by Josh Benson, Head of Agent Relations at Insure.ag. Each episode sits down with the people behind American specialty crops: agents, adjusters, claims supervisors, policy minds in DC, and growers themselves. What's changing in the industry, what actually matters at the farm gate, and what nobody takes the time to explain. From Insure.ag. Farmer first crop insurance.