Keep America Growing

Episode 34: Training for the Toughest Days at NCIS Loss Adjustment Schools

Dr. James Houx, NCIS director of Agricultural Research and Technology, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the extensive training that prepares crop insurance adjusters

Episode 33: Voices from the Field: Crop Tour Highlights Risk and Resilience

In the latest episode of Keep America Growing, NCIS President Tom Zacharias takes listeners along on the Pro Farmer Crop Tour to hear directly from farmers, crop insuranc

Episode 32: From the Field: A discussion with Chip Flory during the Pro Farmer Crop Tour

In the latest episode of Keep America Growing, NCIS President Tom Zacharias joins the Tour and sits down with longtime Pro Farmer leader Chip Flory to discuss what scouts

Episode 31: Inside the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC)

A discussion with former FCIC Chairman Robert Johansson to discuss the FCIC's role in strengthening crop insurance, fostering innovation, and ensuring the program meets t

Episode 30: America at 250: Agriculture, Risk, and the Nation's Founding Farmers

Join us as we celebrate America's 250th anniversary by reflecting on the nation's agricultural roots and how crop insurance has evolved alongside them to become a corners

Episode 29: Policy, Pressure, and the Path Forward: A Conversation with Bart Fischer

How is farm policy keeping up with rising pressure in agriculture? Texas A&M’s Bart Fischer joins Keep America Growing to explain what’s working, what’s not, and why crop

Episode 28: Margins, Risk, and Reality: A Conversation with Dr. Gary Schnitkey

Tight margins. Rising costs. More risk. In this episode, Dr. Gary Schnitkey from the University of Illinois breaks down what’s happening in the farm economy and why crop

Episode 27: With Sales Closing on the Horizon, a Conversation with a Crop Insurance Agent

The March 16 sales closing deadline is approaching, and crop insurance agent Luke Sandrock discusses what farmers are facing as they finalize their 2026 coverage.

Episode 26: Reading the Midterms: A Conversation with David Wasserman

The senior editor and elections analyst at The Cook Political Report sits down for a wide-ranging discussion on what history tells us about midterms and which races could

Episode 25: New Year Reflection: Lessons from an Historic Disaster

In this episode of Keep America Growing, host Tom Zacharias looks back at the 2012 Midwest drought, one of the most significant stress tests in modern agricultural histor

Episode 24: Looking Back, Looking Ahead: A Conversation on Crop Insurance with Chairman Conaway

Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway joins Keep America Growing to reflect on how crop insurance evolved into the backbone of the farm safety net, and

Episode 23: Trading Places at Trade Talk with Jeff Nalley

NCIS turns the tables at Trade Talk, interviewing a farm broadcaster to discuss how technology has reshaped farm broadcasting, how modern agriculture has become more comp

Episode 22: Surviving Helene: Georgia Farmers Share How Crop Insurance Kept Them Farming

One year after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Southeast, Georgia farmers reflect on the storm that wiped out crops, shattered equipment, and threatened family f

Episode 21: Crop Insurance Without Borders: A Global Perspective

Pascal Forrer of AIAG joins NCIS to discuss why the U.S. system is the global benchmark, the growth of crop insurance abroad, and what’s ahead at AIAG’s Rotterdam congres

Episode 20: Investing in Research, Training and Education to Strengthen Crop Insurance

Dean Strasser shares how NCIS research projects with universities and hands-on adjuster schools make crop insurance smarter, faster, and fairer for farmers.

Episode 19: One Big Beautiful Bill and Its Implications for Crop Insurance

Top industry lobbyists discuss the agricultural provisions in the recently passed budget reconciliation package, and what it all means for crop insurance.

Episode 18: Florida Citrus Growers Face Storms, Disease – and Survive with Help from Crop Insurance

Hear from Florida citrus growers how crop insurance keeps them in business despite hurricanes, disease and a decline in production.

Episode 17: A Discussion with the New RMA Administrator

In this episode, we catch up with the new Administrator of the Risk Management Agency, Pat Swanson, to discuss her past, her hopes for the program, and the power of the p

Episode 16: Digging into a new farmer survey all about crop insurance

Join market researcher Claudine Wargel to discuss a new national survey that reveals how farmers feel about crop insurance.

Episode 15: Sales Closing through an Agent’s Eyes

NCIS President Tom Zacharias sits down with veteran crop insurance agent Jason Williamson from Ohio to discuss one of the most critical deadlines in agriculture – the cro