Optimum Service Group

10/16/2026

It’s that time of year again!! (From a Benton County customer)

10/16/2026

What would farming look like without crop insurance?

For many farmers, it would mean facing some of the biggest risks in agriculture with far less protection.

A major drought, hailstorm, flood, wind event or other loss would not just affect one crop. It could affect a farmer’s ability to recover, secure financing, manage expenses and keep the operation moving forward.
That's why crop insurance matters.

It helps farmers prepare for uncertainty, protect against verified losses and keep planning for another growing season.
And it's why farmers continue choosing it year after year.

Without a strong risk management tool in place, one difficult season could have consequences that last far beyond harvest.

10/08/2026

🚨 USDA is announcing historic payments of $13.8 BILLION to eligible agricultural producers for the 2025 crop year through USDA Farm Service Agency's Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs.

Thanks to President Donald J. Trump's Working Families Tax Cuts Act that increased reference prices, this is the largest annual payout by far since these key safety net programs were established in the 2014 Farm Bill.

✅ Delivering direct support to America’s farmers and strengthening the agricultural economy 🚜💪

Details: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/10/07/usda-announces-record-payments-138-billion-2025-crop-year-revenue-and-price-safety-net-programs

10/07/2026

09/30/2026

National Farmers crop Insurance representative Al Smith has the following information for our crop insurance customers.

With rains over the past few weeks, I am starting to get calls about quality issues with the grain. If you see any grain quality issues, be sure to contact me before you put the crop in your own storage. A sample may need to be pulled from the field, wagon, etc.. but not from the bin to get a quality check.

Here are some of the most important things to remember about quality and the claims process.

A claim should be opened if a producer has quality concerns about their crop. Our adjuster can be in contact with that insured and obtain samples as needed.
Samples must be obtained by 1) an adjuster or 2) the elevator where the grain is delivered (if applicable).
Samples must be delivered and tested by a licensed grader, or an approved lab if a mycotoxin is involved. The insured is responsible for the cost of the grading and/or testing.
Discount Factors are listed in the actuarial documents for each county crop. Based on the factors determined during grading, production may be adjusted for quality.
The "Understanding Vomitoxin in Corn" attachment goes into more detail using vomitoxin in corn as an example. This does not cover all situations but does detail multiple parts of the quality adjustment process.

The Quality Adjustment FAQ gives some quick answers to some of the more common questions concerning quality adjustment.

While this email is by no means exhaustive, our claims staff is here to answer your questions and work through any quality issues your producers may have.

Two important things to remember:
1. Open a claim
2. An adjuster (or an elevator representative) must pull/obtain the sample, NOT the insured or a representative of the insured.

09/23/2026

https://www.optimumservicegroup.com/

Optimum Service Group provides comprehensive agricultural insurance services including crop insurance, risk management, and farm protection coverage solutions.

07/28/2026

Although its still a work in progress... please check out the new and still improving website!

Optimum Service Group provides comprehensive agricultural insurance services including crop insurance, risk management, and farm protection coverage solutions.

03/01/2026

Below are the Projected Final Spring Base Prices. Here are a couple notes:
- Soybeans really rallied the last couple weeks making the coverages look great on soybeans
- Volatility Factors are almost as low as they can get, combine that with the higher subsidies, and this make for very lucrative premiums for your coverages

02/21/2026

Spring Prices as of 2/21/2026