small farm/orchard insurance???

[jordanh]

I'm taking about an acre of my ground and putting in a fruit orchard of apples and peaches and nectarines. Hopefully in 3-5 years it will become productive and I will start reaping some return on the investment and ultimately a profit.

My main sticking point at this time is finding good insurance coverage for a reasonable price for this venture. State Farm is my homeowners and wants to convert it to a farm policy to cover the tractor, equipment, and out buildings. It will also cover any eventual fruit picked and stored.

Premium went up $400 a year....yikes. Plus WILL NOT underwrite a U-Pick operation....Period. That is a real good marketing tool around here that I can't utilize if I want insurance.

I can't find any coverage for the trees themselves. And no crop insurance until they are 5 years old generally....and that is JUST the crop not the trees themselves.

Any orchardists out there found good coverage that included the trees themselves that is not horribly expensive??

I am about the scrap the whole dang idear.

 

[4sarge]

I'm new to the Farm but I am currently using Indiana Farm Bureau to write our Farm, tractor, farm truck, cars and 2nd house in the city. I do not know if they offer crop insurance but I do know that I am paying less for my insurance than before. I've had no claims but I do have an agent that I can confer with if needed.
Try this Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance - Where Belonging Makes a Difference!

This is not an endorsement because, I haven't had any claims but it will give you a place to start. I do know that there are many crop insurance companies out there but do not know their particular specifics.

Good Luck

 

[8561]

Big national carriers like State Farm don't tend to be that good at things like farms. You definately need to go find a solid, reputable independant agent who has a variety of companies he/she can place you with that can handle your needs. More than likely, there are several regional (probably mutual) insurance carriers that have a product that you need, including the pick your own part.

 

[ddrake_pgh]

I'm taking about an acre of my ground and putting in a fruit orchard of apples and peaches and nectarines. Hopefully in 3-5 years it will become productive and I will start reaping some return on the investment and ultimately a profit.

If you have deer around, don't waste your time. I've lost 6 of my trees to them. Went out tonight and a plum, apple, and peach I planted this year are now little stubs. I am going to have to start trees untile they are a couple inches in diameter inside a small electric fenced plot.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Where is Ashland, MO?
I know a guy who sells insurance for Missouri Farm Buruea who may be able to help you.

 

[jordanh]

Shelter did not better.

Farm Bureau is working on it...but has to go outside for tree coverage.

I will contact a local independent to see what they can do.

Local orchard owner told me no one covers trees....that seems a bit insane.

Thanks!

 

[92builder]

I have the perfect market for you, so please give me a call! I'm not some master marketer, but I have a company that specifically insures "u-pick" farms. I hope I'm not too late to help!

Thanks
Trevor

(405) 368-3268
Town & Country Insurance Agency

 

[rox]

Shelter did not better.

Farm Bureau is working on it...but has to go outside for tree coverage.

I will contact a local independent to see what they can do.

Local orchard owner told me no one covers trees....that seems a bit insane.

Thanks!

That is the same issue we have in France, no coverage to be found for the olive trees themselves. If there is a fire we will get the value of the crop but nothing for the trees. If the trees buen we have to wait 8 years for them to grow back and even then the yields will be very small. Thankfully our fire departments protect our trees. The only thing I can think of why they don't cover the trees is that it would be to tempting for a farmer who is having financial difficulty to burn down the trees for the insurance money. Just the value of our trees is over half a million Euros, if we were to buythese same sized trees on the market. That is a pretty big incentive to torch them. Burn them down, collect the insurance money and re-plant or else wait for them to come back on their own. That is the only scenerio I can come up with why it is impossible to find insurance on the trees.

 

[rox]

I wonder if you are able to grow kiwi where you live. That seems like a good cash crop to me. I have 2 planted in pots next year I will re-locate in the ground. Check out growing kiwis on the internet just for giggles.