If you didn’t know what year it was, you’d think you were back in the wild west. That’s because cattle rustling, once a thing of movies and nostalgia, has made a disturbing comeback. From Oregon to Texas and all across the Midwest, farm owners are having cattle stolen at an alarming rate.

One farmer in Oklahoma lost 30 specially-bred cattle in 90 days. Another farmer in Alabama lost two prize bulls overnight. In Texas alone, cattle rustling crimes have tripled since 2007, with 7,400 cattle being stolen in 2010 compared with 2,400 in 2007.

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When you first purchased that farm insurance policy, you most likely worked with a farm insurance broker who reviewed your business practices, the risks and potential loss exposures, and your insurance premium budget. If that was more than a year ago, you’re well overdue for a review of your coverage.

That’s because economic conditions, business changes, legislative changes, and even insurance policy changes can leave you unprotected in the event of a loss. Yet many farmers tend to renew their existing policies, assuming the coverage levels will remain adequate or that cost-of-living increases will cover any additional risks.

Not so. Many loss exposures outpace your policy’s coverage limits. For example, suppose you purchased your policy with a $1 million coverage limit two years ago. You assumed $150,000 of exposure, which is what you have reserved for emergencies or loss occurrences.  Read More…

News out of North and South Korea has once again put foot-and-mouth disease in the headlines. All of the country’s 84 livestock markets closed December 1, 2010 due to an outbreak of the disease in one of  South Korea’s northern provinces. As of January 18th, 2011, the disease had been confirmed on 188 farms in South Korea, and more than 1.7 million farm animals have been slaughtered.  The highly contagious viral disease has been called the country’s worst ever outbreak.

The risks are not that far removed from US soil. Neighboring Canada had its own scare in June 2010, when foot-and-mouth disease was suspected. Tests ruled out the disease, but operations were halted until testing was completed. That left haulers wondering what to do with truckloads of pigs that were turned away at processing centers. Canada’s biosecurity laws prohibit animals being returned to the farms once they have left the premises. Read More…

As the country spent the latter part of August amid an egg recall, the push was on for consumers to buy local. In an already tight economy, farmers can open up new markets right around the corner from their own farms.

In Pennsylvania, local farmers have cultivated strategic partnerships with local grocery stores and have managed to bring in an impressive $370 million in the process. In western Pennsylvania, the push for locally grown food has created a demand from large retailers, including local supermarket Giant Eagle, restaurant chain Eat ‘n Park, and Whole Foods Market.  Read More…

Who’d have thought so much risk could be attached to egg production? Chickens, eggs, automation, transport, and product safety are but a few of the many areas of loss potential for egg producers. Where there’s a commercial operation, there’s the chance that something could go wrong.

Understanding the risks involved in your egg production operations requires a comprehensive risk assessment and coverage review.   Read More…