Erin (with her husband) not only runs a diversified farm in Central Iowa—producing corn, soybeans, hay, and beef—but she also spearheads the Nationwide Sponsor Relations team, building relationships and partnerships with ag organizations across the country.
What you may not know about Nationwide: It’s a company rooted in agriculture. (It was founded by the Ohio Farm Bureau in 1926; even today, more than half the board members are farmers and ranchers.) While a household name in home and auto insurance throughout the country, Nationwide remains focused on best protecting rural families and their businesses – through their coverage options, financial services, and farm and ranch safety initiatives. That’s why they established National Grain Bin Safety Week, created the Golden Owl Award to honor outstanding ag teachers through the National FFA, and developed safety programs addressing various risks commonly faced by farmers and ranchers.
FarmHER has partnered with Nationwide for more than a decade. (Just this last year, they convinced Kirbe to participate in a grain bin rescue demonstration where she was trapped up to her waist in grain. Watch the FULL VERSION HERE.) Beyond their commitment to rural communities, we admire Nationwide’s acknowledgment of women’s vital roles in the industry.
“It’s roles of all types – whether they’re the individual producer on that farm, whether they work in an ag bioscience lab, whether they work at Nationwide like me in ag role – but all those women and all those experiences, reaching that audience is really important to us,” says Erin.
“We know that women play significant roles in operations and as decision-makers. So we want to make sure when we’re talking about our advocacy programs, like grain bin safety or our ATV/UTV Safety program, that we’re reaching women. […] and that message comes across in a positive light. I think in the world today we have so many opportunities for negative messages, partnering and sharing these great opportunities and shining a light on women in agriculture in a very positive way is definitely worth it.”