Employee Story

We can all look back and pinpoint decisions that have shaped our lives. For me, that moment came not in the office, but on our own ranch. My husband and I run a small cattle operation and a few years ago, we started using Livestock Risk Protection insurance. Not because we expected a payout, but because we didn’t want to lose our footing. Now, it’s built into our budget. It’s part of how we sleep soundly at night. That’s the thing about insurance protection; it’s not just about numbers. It’s about the decisions we make – quietly and consistently – to keep going.

My colleague Jace Householder puts it this way: “I’ve started calling our insurance products ‘liquidity protection’ because that’s what they really are. They protect your ability to stay creditworthy, to keep operating and to grow.”

Jace is AgWest’s SVP of Insurance in California and Arizona. He was previously a Portfolio Manager in Tulare, California, so he approaches risk from the financial side but always tries to see the human side first. At AgWest, we know the greatest value we can provide isn’t a product – it’s knowledge. Knowledge is what turns uncertainty into action. It helps business owners move forward before the storm hits.

That’s why we start every customer conversation with a question: “What keeps you up at night?” It’s not just a conversation starter; it’s a way to understand what matters most to the people we serve. When we understand the risks at the forefront of someone’s mind, we can help them make decisions that let them rest easier.

Sometimes, those decisions lead to insurance. Sometimes, they lead to other tools or strategies. But no matter the path, our role is to educate – to walk alongside, not ahead – and to help business owners see the options that best fit their operations.

“A really good agent understands the grower’s operation first,” says Jace. “Then we match it to the right tools. It’s not about what pays the most. It’s about what fits the best.”

Sometimes, it takes a loss to see the value of protection. Jace remembers the Arizona hailstorm that damaged his family’s cotton crop when he was in college. They didn’t have crop insurance. A few years later, another storm hit just before harvest, causing significant damage and lost income. That was the moment his dad said, “Never again.”

That kind of mindset shift is something Gorham Blaine understands well. A pear and apple grower in Hood River and Wasco counties, Oregon, Gorham owns and operates more than 500 acres of orchards. For him, crop insurance isn’t just a safety net – it’s a cornerstone of his business.

“I really can't imagine farming without crop insurance,” he says. “It's paid so many dividends for me in the tough cycles. It has kept me going when I thought for sure I had a terrible year ahead. I feel very fortunate to work with the people at AgWest who believe in me. They truly care about my operation and my family and how things are really going.”

At AgWest, that’s what we strive to do for our customer-members. Not push a product. Not close a sale. But be a trusted resource. We’re here to help you protect the business you’ve built. And to make sure when the next big business decision comes, you have access to the information and tools you need to be ready.

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