I started L & S Agency Inc now known as Groton Ag Partners in 1986. I knew from an early age, having been raised on a family farm, and later farming myself, that I would always be involved in agriculture. I farmed for several years before deciding to turn my focus to crop insurance. I knew what it took to run an Ag business. I found great pleasure in helping farmers succeed. From the days of pick and rolls, Loan Deficiency Payments to today’s Farm programs, all these things have been great tools in helping farmers grow their operations. The idea of making the Farm Service Agency the focus of how you buy your crop insurance has always been the key to success for my customers and my growth with my agency.
In the fall of 2013, I decided to allow my agency to become employee owned. This was not a decision I made lightly. My employees worked very hard to service my customers as they were like family to them. I wanted to see my agency keep growing and allow more customers in the future to have the service they deserve. They have made many advances in technology and have always been able to explain why this is good for my customers before asking me to make a change. I have had the honor to see how these employees work with farmers and grow. They have always respected my decisions and beliefs about making the programs balance with crop insurance. You must understand more than just crop insurance to do this job. FSA along with many other programs are what keep the farming operations growing. You need to keep your customers informed on all government programs, not just on crop insurance. With the budget cuts at Farm Service Agency, we need to have someone that can step in and explain the missing pieces to all these programs. I feel that I have helped develop a team that can do that and remain dedicated to this level of service far into the future.
By taking a step back and allowing this team to take over, I have more time to enjoy life with my wife, Shirley, our two children and their spouses along with four wonderful grandchildren. I truly believe to be a good agent you need to provide full-time service. I can now leave the office with peace of mind knowing that I have a talented team in place to handle things while I enjoy seeing my grandkids’ sporting activities, spending time in Mesa AZ in the winter, and serving on various boards. I have been blessed with the ability to give to many organizations both physically and financially and hope to keep doing so as long as I can.
John F. Kennedy said, “The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” I believe that farming is rapidly changing and evolving, and you need to be with a team that can help manage your risk. They go out of their way day, or night, to make things happen. As you are all aware storms and natural disasters do not come during the hours of eight to five. That is why it was a great honor to be in business with them and call them partners now instead of employees.
Over the years my team has grown, and we have learned so much from each other. We will continue to learn from each other in the future.
