Open Fields Blog

We understand the unpredictability that farming brings – from weather, to climate and everything in between, it’s important to keep your crops and your bottom line protected. That’s why we bring our century of experience serving rural communities and farmers to create a crop insurance policy that’s customized just for you.

Top 5 Reasons to Choose GreenStone for Crop Insurance

We pride ourselves on the customer service experience we deliver to our customers. Although there are many reasons GreenStone is the right choice for your crop insurance solutions, here’s a breakdown of the top five ways we’ve become the best fit to take on the job.

1. Experience: GreenStone’s crop insurance team has more than 100 years of combined experience. We understand your needs in the field; several members of our crop insurance team jump on the tractor and work on their own farms when their workday ends at GreenStone. Our team members each specialize in specific sectors of crop insurance – from row crops to dairy and livestock, to fruit and specialty crops – meaning each specialist is an expert in their segment.
2. Grain Marketing Knowledge: GreenStone’s crop insurance team comes from a wide variety of expertise and backgrounds. Many on our team have worked in the grain market sector and have in-depth industry knowledge to help you select the best plan for your farm.
3. Willingness to Help: GreenStone’s crop insurance team meets you where you are – whether that’s at your kitchen table or in your combine. GreenStone’s crop insurance team uses a special calculator to see if our customers are eligible for certain government relief programs – saving you time and money.
4. Resources: GreenStone uses exclusive tools like Optimum and Precision Acreage Reporting to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck in the easiest and more accurate way possible. Read about the benefits of these below in this blog.  
5. One Stop Shop: Need a loan on top of your crop insurance plan? How about tax and accounting services to keep your bookkeeping on track? GreenStone can do it all – under one roof. There’s no need to rely on three separate companies. We will come to you for all of your financial needs.

NOTE: Emily's last name has changed from "Harke" to "Beaverson" since the creation of this video.

Precision Acreage Reporting

One major benefit of choosing GreenStone for your crop insurance plan is our precision acreage reporting connection.

Any grower knows that acreage reporting not only important, but is required to receive crop insurance protection. This report outlines things like the type of crop, how many acres the crop covers, and the intended use of that crop. If that report isn’t precise, it could cost you money in the long run. That’s why our precision acreage reporting tool is dependable option for many farmers who are already utilizing precision technology.

Oftentimes, acreage reporting relies on maps from the Farm Service Agency, but Precision Acreage Reporting through GreenStone allows farmers to benefit from the technology they are already using in their equipment to report their own crops for crop insurance. That means more simple and quick reporting and can also bring down the overall price of your plan because it’s a more accurate reading on how the land is being used.

Plus, it’s convenient. GreenStone is able to use the information provided by growers to process their required crop insurance acreage reporting without having to visit the farm. And – the Precision Acreage Reporting tool can be used in the palm of your hand on your phone.

Benefits of Optimum

One exclusive tool GreenStone crop insurance customers benefit from is Optimum, a program that allows us to plug in your specific farm details and generate thousands of scenarios to help you choose the perfect plan for your farm. Optimum is exclusive to Farm Credit – meaning you won’t find this benefit anywhere else in Michigan or northeast Wisconsin!

Optimum is like an equation. It takes all of the different plans, levels of protection, and extra endorsements you can tack on and factors in your actual production history. It then comes up with the best crop insurance plan options for your individual scenarios.

Optimum lets you take a look at real-life scenarios to see how much you would be covered in the event of things like natural disasters, hail, or a dry spell. The program also lets you take a look at how crops perform in your specific community so you know exactly what to look out for, and what protection is best suited to help you.

The best part – you still have full control over what plan you decide is best for your farm. Our customers have told us that this service has helped them feel confident they are picking the best crop insurance plan!

We’re Here for You

We’re here to go the extra acre to help protect you. To learn more about our crop insurance products and important dates to keep in mind, and to figure out which policy is right for you, check out the crop insurance page on our website.

Have a question? Check out our frequently asked questions page or give your local branch a call today!