Crop Insurance for Organic Growers: New to the Winter Webinar Series 2/24

New topics have been added to our winter webinar series lineup. On February 24, we will host Kate Hansen, author of the recently released guide from the Center for Rural Affairs “Conversations from the Field: Crop Insurance for Organic Operations.” She will be joined by Megan Vaith from Northbourne Organic Crop Insurance in South Dakota. Together our speakers will provide tips and insights into crop insurance options for organic growers.

Crop insurance is an important risk management tool for many farmers, and organic operations come with their own unique set of risks to consider. While crop insurance options for organic have expanded considerably in the past decade, a sizable percentage of organic crops still go uninsured, and beneficial options underused. 

“Conversations from the Field: Crop Insurance for Organic Operations,” a new educational guide released early this month by the Center for Rural Affairs, sheds light on the crop insurance process and options available for organic production. 

“Today, more than 80 certified organic crops can be insured, and there are a number of unique options and considerations for organic policies,” said Kate Hansen, a Center policy assistant. “We believe this resource will provide the information farmers need as they consider their insurance options for the coming crop year.”

The guide features interviews with seven crop insurance agents who have experience with organic operations, and seven organic farmers from across the Midwest. Topics covered include insuring the higher value of organic crops using contract prices, the claims process, prevented planting, the crop insurance timeline over a given year, and advice for finding an agent. 

“This guide would be a valuable read for many,” Hansen said. “From beginning organic farmers, to experienced organic producers looking to purchase crop insurance, to agents trying to better understand the perspective of their organic customers.” 

Click here to view “Conversations from the Field.” Important deadlines for crop insurance are coming up and now is a great time to learn about recent changes and start thinking about coverage options. Please join us on February 24 and bring your questions.

This February 24 session is part of our Organic Winter Webinar series, which features a variety of topics on Wednesdays from 11 to 11:45 a.m. You can see our full lineup, view log-in details, watch past presentations, or sign up for email reminders at go.osu.edu/organic-series. Also new to the lineup is a March 10 session on cultural control of ragweed and other annual weeds. We are developing sessions on grazing and marketing as well. The session originally scheduled for February 24 on organic dairy herd health management has been moved to April 21 due to unforseen circumstances. If you have questions, please contact program manager Cassandra Brown at brown.1844@osu.edu.