Labor Day Weekend - Boating Safety

Labor Day Weekend marks the last long weekend of summer for many families. Your weekend activities may include taking a boat to the lake or river one last time before the weather starts to cool down.  The following Boating Safety Tips will help to make sure everyone enjoys a fun, safe boating experience!

• Life Jackets - 90% of all victimes who drown were not wearing a life jacket. Make sure all people on your boat are wearing a life jacket that is the correct size for them. Also, it never hurts to have one or two extra life jackets just in case something happens.
• No Alcohol -  Historically, alcohol is involved in one-third of all recreational boating fatalities. Driving a boat while drinking is the same as driving a car, you can lost control quickly. If it is hot outside, consuming alcohol may also lead to dehydration. The best rule of thumb, do not take any alcohol onto your boat.
• Keep An Eye Out - You should constantly pay attention to all passengers on board your boat, especially chidren. It only takes one second for a child or passenger to fall out or get injured. Some passengers may get sea-sick on a boat, and the best way to tell is by watching them. If you feel that something is wrong with a passenger, it may be best to go back to shore for a while. Also, watching for other boaters, objects in the water, and your surroundings will help ensure everyone's safety.
• Vessel Safety Check - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's United States Coast Guard Auxiliary provides free Vessel Safety Checks to look at: life jackets, registration and numbering, navigation lights, ventilation, fire extinguishers, distress signals (flares, horns, etc.), and battery covers and connections. If your vessel passes, you will are awarded a VSC Decal that alerts law-enforcement agencies that your boat was found to be in full compliance with all Federal and State boating laws. If your boat does not pass, no report is filed. Instead, you are given a written report to aid in corrected any discrepancies noted. To schedule a VSC in your area, visit Vessel Safety Check, enter your zip code, and search for your local USCG Auxillary Vessel Examiner.

And, one last thing, insurance. Most insurance policies require that your boat be listed separately and to have all equipment listed. If you have questions about insuring your boat, please contact your local Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho agent who can help you determine the right type of coverage necessary. Have a great SAFE Labor Day weekend!

* Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard

Protect. Prevent. Prevail. Beat the flu!

Protect. Prevent. Prevail this Winter

Get the flu vaccination – not the flu!

BOISE ID (August 15, 2011) – Adults age 65 and older and people under 65 with chronic illness are encouraged to get a flu shot early, before flu season begins. The flu vaccine is available to Medicare beneficiaries at no cost, no coinsurance, no copayment and no deductible.

Idaho Department of Insurance Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) Coordinator Jacquie Kennedy-Gooch says, “The flu vaccine helps prevent the flu, it doesn’t give you the flu. By protecting yourself, you are protecting those around you.”

The Department of Insurance reminds Idahoans of some common-sense tips to help avoid the flu:

·         Use a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or sneeze into your elbow – not your hand.

·         Wash your hands often with soap and water.

·         Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

·         Try to avoid close contact with people who are ill; stay home if you are ill.

For more information, contact the SHIBA office at www.doi.idaho.gov, or call 1-800-247-4422.

Veterans Day Essay Contest

To mark both Veterans Day 2011 and the September return of the Idaho Army National Guard's 116th Calvary Brigade Combat Team, Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho is sponsoring the "Veterans Essay Contest". The essay topic is "What My Parent's (or Sibling's) Military Service Means To Me". The essay is a great opportunity for children to put in their own words the impact their active duty parent's or sibling's military service has made in their lives. Contest rules and entry forms are available from any Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho agent or you may download an entry form here.

Farm Bureau Insurance's Relay For Life Purple Reign

For the sixth consecutive year, Farm Bureau Insurance’s Home Office Relay For Life team raised more money for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event than any other Pocatello-area team. Farm Bureau Insurance’s first-place team raised $8,852 this year for the fight against cancer.

Team captain Marci Hamann credits Farm Bureau Insurance and its employees for the team’s successful fundraising campaign. “To have the opportunity to work for an employer that supports and cares about this cause so much is very rewarding in itself.”

Hamann believes that one day there will be a cure for cancer. And when there is, she says, “everyone who has ever supported the American Cancer Society will have had a hand in it.”
 
The 2011 Farm Bureau Insurance Relay for Life team included:
Rebecca Clemens, Michelle Coffin, Sheri Hokanson, Shalae Kane, Lindsay Kopp, Leigh Ann Languein, Wendy Linscheid, Jennifer Lowrey, Ashley Miller, Brandon Peterson, Linda Peterson, Lisa Shappart, and Marci Hamann, team captain.

The Relay for Life, known for its purple theme, celebrates cancer survivorship and raises money for American Cancer Society research and programs.

Cancer survivor and longtime Farm Bureau Insurance Relay for Life team member Linda Peterson at the 2011 Relay for Life of Pocatello.

IFBF Farmers' Market - Free Listings!

Last year, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation started a new program called the IFBF Farmers' Market, giving free advertising on their website and in their magazines to Idaho Farm Bureau members who sell their produce locally.  This free advertising is once again being offered to current Idaho Farm Bureau members.  All members have to do to receive their free listing is send an email to Joel Benson, Member Benefits Manager, at jbenson@idahofb.org with the following information:

Name:
Membership Number: (ex: 043432-01; or you may list your Farm Bureau Insurance agent) *This information will not appear on the published list.*
Produce/Meat products being sold: (ex: Sweet Potatoes July-Aug, Pumpkins Mid. Oct.-Mid. Nov.)
Location/Address: (ex: 112 S. Baker St. - turn south at Baker & Hwy 45 intersection, go 1/2 mile)
Phone Number:
Email: (if applicable)
Special Instructions: (ex: Please only visit between 9:00am and 5:00pm, or call ahead)

Please note, at this point in time only produce and meat products that are human edible may be submitted for listing.  Things such as hay, crafts, and tractors will not be listed. A current list of producers listed in the IFBF Farmers' Market may be found here.

A two-page spread run in this year's August Farm Bureau Quarterly, including all listed producers in the IFBF Farmers' Market.  If you are an Idaho Farm Bureau Member, or know of a member, who would enjoy getting this free advertising, please submit your information either by fax or email no later than Monday morning, August 1st. Any submissions after this date will not be in the Quarterly magazine listing.

For more information, please contact:

Joel Benson, Member Benefits Manager
Email: jbenson@idahofb.org
Phone: 208-239-4289
Fax: 208-232-3616
Mail: Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
         Attn: Joel
         PO Box 4848
         Pocatello, ID  83205

Notice to Idaho Farm Bureau Members: Be sure to check with your insurance agent to see if your existing policy covers the direct sale of your farm products to consumers.  Additional coverage may be needed for certain types of retail sales.

Reduce Your Risk of Interior Water Damage

Water damage can be costly and it doesn’t take a lot of water to cause major damage to floors, furniture and cabinetry – not to mention valuable electronics. Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offer the following information to help you reduce your risk of interior water damage.

IBHS conducted a study of closed water damage insurance claims and used that information to identify the leading causes and develop the following solutions.

1.   Plumbing Supply System Failure

This type of failure costs homeowners time and money more often than any other source of water loss, according to the IBHS study. In fact, the average cost of an incident was more than $5,000 after the insurance deductible was paid. A little maintenance can go a long way toward prevention since the majority of insurance claims were caused by corroded and rusty pipes and frozen pipes.

Ways to Reduce Damage

• An increased monthly water bill, banging pipes, rust stains, moisture in the walls or on floor, and signs of wet soil erosion near the foundation are all potential indicators of a plumbing problem.
• Setting the thermostat to at least 60 degrees in winter months, letting faucets drip and insulating pipes are all ways to reduce the risk of frozen pipes.
• As a backup, let technology pay attention for you by installing a house leak detection system.

2.   Toilet Failure

The sour look on a homeowner’s face is not only from the smell of a toilet failure, but also from the price tag that comes with it. Toilet failures in the study cost more than $5,500 per incident after the deductible was paid. One-third of all toilet failures in the study resulted from an overflowing or clogged toilet.

Ways to Reduce Damage

• Be patient after you flush and wait for the valve to completely finish refilling the tank and bowl. If an overflow looks imminent, turn off the supply valve.
• Twice a year, inspect a toilet’s components, such as the fill, supply and flush valves and the supply line.

3.   Water Heater Failure

We all enjoy a hot shower; keep the enjoyment going by giving your water heater some much needed attention. A simple inspection by a plumbing professional at least once every two years – and annually after the warranty expires - can save you thousands of dollars in potential water damage. The most common causes of water heater failures in the IBHS study were a slow leak or a sudden burst in the tank, followed by supply line failures.

Ways to Reduce Damage

• Check the life expectancy and warranty for your water heater and replace accordingly.
• Proper maintenance, such as flushing sediments and inspecting the heater’s anode rod, can increase life expectancy.
• Inspect valves to ensure proper operations, and use ball valves in place of gate valves whenever possible.

4.   Plumbing Drain System Failure

A backed up sewer drain has the potential to ruin your whole day. The IBHS study found more than half of plumbing system failures were the result of sewer backups. The problem was more common in southern states and on average cost $4,000 per incident after the insurance deductible was paid.

Ways to Reduce Damage

• If your home’s sewer system is connected to the city’s sewer system – a particular problem for older homes – or if you are located downhill or below street level, contact a plumbing professional to install a backflow prevention assembly into your sewer system.
• Plant your trees away from lateral drain lines to prevent roots from damaging piping.
• Never pour grease down the drain.

5.   Washing Machine Failure

Sometimes the smallest components cause the biggest headaches. In the case of your washing machine, those rubber hoses that come with every new machine put your home at risk of water damage. More than half of the claims in the IBHS study were linked to washing machine hose failures. Replace these hoses with reinforced braided versions and save time and money in repairs later. Washing machine claims in the study averaged more than $5,300 per incident after the deductible was paid.

Ways to Reduce Damage

• Inspect your supply hose annually and replace very five years.
• When you leave the house for an extended period of time, turn off the hot and cold water supply valve to reduce failure risks.
• Don’t try to cut corners by overloading the machine, and use it only while someone is at home.

Pocatello-Inkom Deer Fence Funds Matching Program Ends This Week

Donations to Farm Bureau Insurance’s Pocatello-Inkom deer fence fund matching program are at the halfway mark with less than one week remaining before the program’s end.

Farm Bureau Insurance will match up to $5,000 in individual monetary donations made to the fence project before Friday, July 1. A $100 donation was recently made by a Three Forks, Montana resident after his car struck a deer on I-15 between Inkom and Pocatello. The deer smashed through the passenger side of the windshield and hit his wife in the head. She recovered after spending several days in the hospital.

Each year, according to Idaho Fish and Game estimates, at least 100 deer are killed on the section of Interstate 15 between Pocatello and Inkom. These deer-car collisions also cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage and personal injuries.

To make a donation to the Pocatello-Inkom deer fence or for information about volunteer opportunities, please contact Jim Teare, Wildlife Staff Biologist and Mule Deer Initiative Coordinator at the Idaho Fish and Game’s Pocatello office, at 208-232-4703.

To report a wildlife collision observation or for more information about wildlife collisions in Idaho, please visit http://www.fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/manage_issues/collision.

"On Guard" by Ernie T., Arco, ID. From www.reasonstoloveidaho.com