David Hood was the recipient of the 2021 Crop Insurance Industry Outstanding Service Award in recognition for outstanding service and outreach to small, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged farmers.  The award was presented during the 2021 Crop Insurance Industry Annual Convention, which was held virtually on February 9.

Hood has a distinguished 41-year career with First South Farm Credit. He wrote his first crop insurance policy in 1986 and farmers have since trusted him as both a farm lender and insurance agent. Hood now devotes most of his time to servicing First South’s expanding crop insurance business in Mississippi.

Hood was raised on small, diversified farm in rural Wester County, MS, and has an agriculture degree from Mississippi State. His experience and knowledge of agriculture economics has enabled him to understand various insurance products that are important to both large and small farmers. First South understands farming and considers crop insurance to be one of the best ways to manage risk on the farm. Hood and his staff work closely with their farm clients to analyze and choose products that provide affordable protection against crop disaster. Because the agency’s territory includes many small farms, extra attention is given to limited resource farmers.  He has a trust relationship with this farmer group and is always patient when helping remove crop insurance complexities.

Hood is locally known and respected as a community leader in his hometown of Eupora located in North Central, MS. He is a county Farm Bureau director and has been the local Soil & Water Conservation District chairman for over 30 years. He and his wife Gerry are active in their church where he serves as a deacon. Hood has two daughters and six grandchildren.