With the March 16 sales closing deadline for spring crops approaching, the latest episode of NCIS’s Keep America Growing podcast takes listeners inside the conversations taking place between farmers and crop insurance agents right now.

NCIS President Tom Zacharias sits down with Illinois crop insurance agent Luke Sandrock, a partner with the family-owned Cornerstone Agency. Sandrock works closely with farmers across Illinois and shares what he’s hearing as farmers finalize their 2026 coverage decisions.

The discussion comes on the heels of NCIS releasing the finalized national crop insurance results for the 2025 crop year — a record-setting year for participation in the program. Farmers purchased 2.54 million crop insurance policies, protecting 561 million acres nationwide. Those policies provided more than $159 billion in liability protection, with farmers investing $6.25 billion of their own money to purchase coverage.

During the conversation, Sandrock discusses how tight margins in farm country are shaping the conversations he’s having with clients, and why many farmers are relying more heavily on crop insurance to manage risk during uncertain economic conditions.

The episode also explores the continued growth of supplemental and area-based products, including Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) and Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO). According to Sandrock, these tools are helping farmers build more tailored risk management plans that complement their underlying multi-peril crop insurance policies.

Another key theme of the conversation is customization. Sandrock explains how agents work with farmers to design coverage that reflects each operation’s unique circumstances — including yield history, input costs, lender expectations, and marketing plans.

Zacharias notes that conversations like these highlight the real strength of the crop insurance system.

“Crop insurance isn’t just numbers on a page,” Zacharias says in the episode. “It’s relationships, trust, and real risk management delivered at the farm level.”

Listen to the latest episode of Keep America Growing wherever you get your podcasts.