In 2019, Sammy Fields was just stepping into the cattle business. A longtime firefighter, paramedic and safety director, he always had a love for agriculture, but didn’t have the chance to pursue it until a partner with a ranching background invited him to start Double S Cattle Company in Midland, Texas.
Like many startups, the first years were lean. By 2020, Sammy was looking for ways to manage risk. That’s when he came across Pasture, Rangeland and Forage, or PRF, insurance. One name kept coming up in his research: Redd Summit Advisors. He was drawn to the company’s customer service and informative data, and decided to enroll.
When drought swept across West Texas in 2021, the program’s impact became real. “As a new start-up company, the indemnities in the program really worked for us,” Sammy says. “That helped us get over some hurdles and continue to build our business, sustain our business and move forward.”
Today, Double S Cattle Company is a testament to how PRF can support a growing ranch. After loss years in 2019 and 2020, indemnity payments in 2021 put the business on stable ground. “The payments we received in 2021 got us to a break-even and sustainable point,” Sammy shares. By 2022, the operation posted net positive gains, a trajectory he credits to the program’s ability to bridge tough seasons without forcing herd liquidation.
His appreciation for the product soon evolved into something more. With no local Redd Summit agent in West Texas, Sammy saw both a need and an opportunity. He earned his license and joined the team, bringing firsthand producer experience to his role. Now, as both a rancher and agent, Sammy connects with customers on a deeper level because of their shared experiences. “The same problems they’re facing, I’ve probably experienced or I’m going to experience,” he says. “We’re not just strictly insurance or business, we’re a community.”
This perspective drives his day-to-day work. Sammy finds inspiration in helping others navigate uncertainty. “Redd Summit is customer-based and customer-service orientated,” he says. “Every agent has either owned or operated their own cattle company or ranch, or their family does. That’s a very unique dynamic we bring to the marketplace.”
For Sammy, PRF is essential to protecting operations through volatile seasons. “PRF is there to help you bridge the gap when you have more expenses in feed and maintaining your cattle,” he explains. “It allows you the funds to do that, so you don’t have to sell off your herd and then try to buy back when times get better.”
That focus on resilience also shapes his long-term vision. Sammy hopes to grow Double S Cattle Company into a lasting operation that can be passed down through his family for generations. Equally important to him is helping other ranching families safeguard their operations through tough seasons, preserving both their land and the future of ranching across West Texas and beyond.
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