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Crop insurance was introduced as a government supported and administered program in the 1930’s.  For the next 60+ years the program underwent many changes and variations but the biggest evolution came in the mid 1990’s at which time lawmakers passed legislation to privatize the product.  Although still subsidized by the government, the program is now available to be written by private insurance agents duly licensed specifically for the product line of crop insurance.  This is where The Alexander Gerber Crop Insurance story begins.

Ken Gerber has been a part of the agriculture Community all of his life.  Coming from a family grain and dairy farm in Butler County, Ohio and after being educated at The Ohio State University, Ken set out on his own. Ken and his family spent the decades of the 70’s and 80’s growing and operating a large grain and hog operation in southern Ohio.  During that time period the agricultural markets went through violent swings with extreme highs and lows. Farming is difficult in times of stable commodity prices but can be financially devastating when one or more of those things don’t exist. Ken realized that understanding the cycles controlling those highs and lows and managing risk was the key to financial stability and longevity in farming.  Ken proceeded to get a brokerage license and open a commodity brokerage office helping farmers hedge their grain for growing and future crops.  He began a lifetime study of the grain cycles and quickly became a recognized expert in the grain markets and hedging options for farmers.

By the time crop insurance was privatized in the mid 1990’s Ken had an established client base of local farmers who depended upon him to help them establish a marketing strategy for their grain, crop insurance was the missing piece of the risk management plan. Futures trading allowed farmers to forward sell grain with insurance as the guarantee against a poor crop and no deliverable grain.

Now as a recognized cycle expert and teacher, Ken’s business flourished and took him all over the U.S and several other countries speaking to trading students and farmers. That information is now taught only to crop insurance customers.

As a result of growth in the business, in 1999 Ken brought his daughter Melissa into to join the team.  After growing up on the family farm, Melissa received her bachelors of Science from Wilmington College in Accounting and Ag Business.  She married her husband Tim Alexander in 1988 and together they have two children. Tim and Melissa took over the management of the family farm and pursued their passion of raising cattle.  As a family unit the operation has grown to a 100 cow/calf pair operation in which daily management duties have now been passed on to the next generation, Tim and Melissa’s son Cameron.

Continuing the tradition of a farm family and family business, in 2016 their daughter Kayla joined the team.  Kayla brings a fresh face and fresh ideas to the business as well as expertise in technology and communications allowing the Alexander Gerber Crop Insurance group to provide the best possible service to their customers while having a solid plan to continue that level of commitment and service well into the future.

Over the next nearly 25 years the crop insurance business has grown, changed, and adapted to the current needs of today’s farmers.  The faces of some operations have changed and the programs within crop insurance have changed but the basic goals are still the same.  Farmers MUST understand the market cycles and use the federally subsidized crop insurance program to manage risks.  The Alexander Gerber Crop Insurance team is experts in these programs.

Together the Alexander Gerber Crop Insurance team has been involved in agriculture since 1941.  They have combined crop insurance experience of over 40 years.  They specialize in only crop insurance and spend every day focusing on how to improve their clients crop insurance program and marketing.

This combination of unmatched crop insurance knowledge, service, and marketing information not available anywhere else allows their clients to focus on production. Call Ken Gerber or Melissa Alexander to see how you can increase your profits and lower your risk.