In 1819, Farm Progress began its rich history of touching farmers' and ranchers' lives with useful information through the publication of the American Farmer. Farm Progress has the distinction of producing the oldest known continuously published magazine, Prairie Farmer, which was launched in 1841. Since its beginning, the magazines published by Farm Progress have reported on thousands of new ideas, best practices and inventions that improved and changed the face of farming. Today's subscribers find information in Farm Progress' 22 magazines as relevant today as the information published almost 200 years ago.
Aware of the perils inherent with farming, in 1940 the Michigan Farmer began offering an accident insurance policy to its subscribers. The policy offered a daily benefit to farmers injured or laid up due to accidental injury as well as a death benefit to be paid to the family in case of death from an accident. The premium was $1.10 per year and was offered to subscribers by representatives of the Michigan Farmer. The need to provide other insurance protection designed specifically for farmers and ranchers eventually resulted in the creation of Harvest Insurance Companies, an organization of independent representatives calling upon the subscribers of Farm Progress. Over 500 insurance representatives in more than twenty states served Farm Progress' nearly one million subscribers over the next half century.
Although now organized as Basic Financial Solutions, Inc., the emphasis and focus of our representatives remain the same as seventy years ago. No other insurance and financial organization offers as unique a focus on the farm and ranch industry as Basic Financial Solutions, Inc. Our commitment to provide best-in-class service and value to the subscribers of Farm Progress, coupled with a mangement team having over 200 years experience in the farm magazine insurance business, ensures that our subscriber clients will receive advise from trained professionals with the client's best interests in mind. As further assurance, our representatives live and work in the communities they serve allowing them to know and relate to our clients on an individual and personal basis.
Basic Financial Solutions, Inc. represents one of two insurance financial service organizations owned by Cowles Company, Inc. Cowles Company is based in Spokane, WA where it continues its tradition of pursuing excellence and quality in whatever it does. From its start as a newspaper company, Cowles is now a diversified media, forest products, insurance and real estate company. This portfolio of operating entities pride themselves on customer service, strong business ethics, technological and design advances, and attention to environmental and community responsibilities. Just as the farmer and the farm family have a great pride in their heritage, Cowles Company is proud of their heritage as a family owned and operated enterprise.
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