USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) has given approval to a proposal by Westfield Insurance to provide Federally reinsured crop insurance products to U.S. farmers through John Deere Risk Protection, Inc. Having met all regulatory requirements set by RMA, Westfield Insurance Company will offer crop insurance through John Deere Risk Protection, a Managing General Agency (MGA) headquartered in Johnston, Iowa.

John Deere Risk Protection will offer crop insurance for the Spring 2005 growing season through select agents in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. John Deere Risk Protection has established performance criteria and standards that must be met before an independent agent will receive a John Deere general agency contract. Independent agents, including Westfield agents, within the selected states may contact John Deere Risk Protection if they are interested in selling John Deere Crop Insurance.

Our new crop insurance services will help us provide growers with standard crop insurance products and give us a foundation for innovative risk management solutions," says Dennis Daggett, President, John Deere Risk Protection.

Today's ever-changing agricultural landscape has created an ideal environment for crop insurance solutions and services. Demand from business-minded growers for sound crop insurance solutions serviced by knowledgeable industry professionals will now be met by one of the most trusted and stable organizations in agriculture, backed by Westfield, an established, reliable insurance provider.

Westfield has a 156-year tradition of dependable insurance protection for production farmers and related commercial agribusiness," says Scott Orndorff, senior executive of the Agri-Business Division of Westfield Insurance. "We are pleased to be able to expand our offerings to U.S. farmers by associating with John Deere."