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Don’t expect changes to Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance structureDon’t expect changes to Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance structure

The organization is satisfied with membership requirement to obtain insurance.

Allison Lynch, Staff Writer

January 22, 2025

2 Min Read
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Executive Vice President and CEO Kevin Murphy and INFB President Randy Kron
STILL SATISFIED: In the wake of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s decision to get rid of the membership requirement for insurance, the Indiana Farm Bureau is making it clear that it has no intentions to follow suit. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Executive Vice President and CEO Kevin Murphy (left) and INFB President Randy Kron are satisfied with the way things are currently structured, with membership required to obtain insurance. Courtesy of the Indiana Farm Bureau

Is there any chance that the Indiana Farm Bureau will follow the Illinois Farm Bureau’s decision to waive the membership requirement for insurance, subsequently leading to removal from the American Farm Bureau Federation?

The short answer is no.

“There is no interest from INFB companies or our board in doing anything like what Illinois Farm Bureau is attempting to do,” INFB President Randy Kron says. “INFB is fortunate to have very strong and mutually valued relationships not only with Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, but also with the American Farm Bureau Federation. Our board of directors and management teams believe in the strength of [the] farm bureau and the importance of remaining connected to the network of other states and the national federation.”

How insurance is structured

INFB membership is a prerequisite to obtaining insurance through Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. Kron says that insurance is just one of many member benefits offered by INFB to its members. It is part of a variety of companies created by INFB to address members’ needs since the 1930s.

The same quality of service is offered to both farm and non-farm members, adds Kevin Murphy, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance executive vice president and CEO.

“All members have exclusive access to money-saving discounts and more — all while supporting Indiana’s agricultural sector as a key driver of economic stability and growth,” Murphy says. “The annual primary membership dues are $36.”

Related:Indiana Farm Bureau pushes for farmland tax relief

Membership is required for other services provided by Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., such as Indiana Farm Bureau health plans and educational programs offered by the Indiana Ag Law Foundation.

No changes

Kron shares that INFB is satisfied with this structure and does not plan to change anything in the foreseeable future. And he shares that any proposed changes would need to involve ensuring there is adequate funding at the county level. Those 92 Indiana counties also would be involved in the decision-making process if anything were to happen.

When reflecting on the Illinois Farm Bureau’s recent actions, Kron says that it boils down to a “management decision” that did not factor in feedback from the core of the organization.

“At the heart of the matter for the AFBF board is the fact that it was a ‘management decision’ not controlled by farmers,” Kron adds. “This is contrary to [the] farm bureau’s core commitment to organizational control by farmers for the benefit of farmers, and the impacts will cause harm to Illinois farmers who will no longer have a voice in our federation.”

Related:Water quantity policy remains a priority

INFB will continue to bridge the gap between non-farm members and the farm, Kron says. Allowing those non-farm members to join the organization gives them the opportunity to do so.

“At INFB, we cherish the opportunity to share agriculture’s story with non-farmer members,” Kron says. “Reaching beyond our farms is important, as fewer people have direct connections to agriculture and a growing number have questions about where their food originates.”

About the Author

Allison Lynch

Staff Writer, Indiana Prairie Farmer

Allison Lynch, formerly Allison Lund, is a staff writer for Indiana Prairie Farmer. She graduated from Purdue University with a major in agricultural communications and a minor in crop science. She served as president of Purdue’s Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter. In 2022, she received the American FFA Degree.

Lynch grew up as the oldest of four children on a cash grain farm in south-central Wisconsin, where the primary crops were corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa. Her family also raised chewing tobacco and Hereford cattle. She spent most of her time helping with the tobacco crop in the summer and raising Boer goats for FFA projects. She now lives near Winamac, Ind, where her husband farms with his family.

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