It took two years for the U.S. Congress to come together and pass the Agricultural Act of 2014, a piece of legislation known simply as "the Farm Bill." During that period of heated discussion, at least 80 groups spent millions of dollars lobbying on topics that included the Farm Bill and crop insura
The massive Farm Bill, which will spend $956 billion and set U.S. food policy for the next decade, is no longer the purview solely of agricultural interests. The Farm Bill has evolved from a spotlight on commodities to a focus on consumers, a joint investigation by Harvest Public Media and the Midwe
A White House assessment revealed that climate change will affect the agriculture industry in several ways. Rising temperatures will cause some crops to no longer be productive, while also creating ideal conditions for insects. More extreme weather events will rapidly erode the soil and cause planti
Federal crop insurance programs may serve even greater roles when it comes to farmers’ risk management plans, in light of a recent government report on global warming, industry officials say.
Earlier this month, the White House released the 2014 National Climate Assessment. Among its findings, the assessment reported that climate change will threaten U.S. food security and negatively effect the $330 billion a year agriculture industry. If the assessment's predictions hold true, crop insu
In 2011, Eric Herm's cantaloupes exploded. A fourth-generation cotton farmer in West Texas, Herm was experimenting with a home garden to help feed his family during the onset of a drought in the area. Blistering heat, including 100 degree days as early as May, was wilting Herm's cotton—and in the en
In recent years, farmers have increasingly chosen to insure both the yield of their crop and the revenue of their crop. By choosing a revenue-based insurance option -- such as the revenue protection policy -- farmers can insulate their crop against steep drops in prices.
Crop yields will be double compared to last year's yields, according to some estimations. Yet an increase in yields means a decrease in crop insurance payouts. And when the price of some crops has plummeted that means farmers might see their income dropping, as well.
A recent Inspector General report found that the Risk Management Agency has overpaid U.S. farmers by about half a billion dollars through prevented planting programs. Crop insurance programs, such as prevented planting, are meant to compensate farmers when they suffer losses due to weather or disast
Here in Livingston County, government-subsidized crop insurance paid big. In fact, the county led the nation with $154 million in crop insurance indemnities.
