Farming and Agricultural Business Insurance

 Farming is the largest industry in Pennsylvania. Most farms are family owned and operated. As your most valuable assets may be your barns and machinery, you can rely on Philip Baker Insurance Services to help plan for your future. “Growing with You” is our motto because as a fellow farmer, we know that success depends on understanding the ever changing agricultural business.

Our Farming Portfolio contains:

• Residence & Contents
• Barns and Farm Structures
• Machinery, Tractors
• Farm Markets, Roadside Stands
• Hay and crop coverage

Farm Liability
Pollution Liability
Milk Contamination

Farm Umbrella

Commercial Automobile

Crop Insurance

Crop Insurance is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture and is administered by the Risk Management Agency www.rma.usda.gov . Rain & Hail LLC is a managing general agency that provides crop insurance as authorized by the Risk Management Agency. As an agent for Rain & Hail LLC, we provide Crop Insurance to farmers in Pennsylvania. Rain and Hail www.RainHail.com established in 1919 and operating in all 50 states has a solid foundation in insuring farmers from the perils that can devastate a crop thus destroying the income derived from the sale of the crop. Rain and Hail's premier service, financial strength and stability, responsive claims service, and the right products to manage today's risks positions Rain and Hail as a leader recognized worldwide.
Buying crop insurance is one tool in farming risk management.

Farmers should carefully consider how a policy will work in managing their best production outcome each year. The following are perils that Multi Peril Crop Insurance can provide for.

Multi Peril Crop Insurance Causes of Loss for small grains such as Corn, Soybean, Barley, Wheat, and Rye.

Adverse Weather Conditions (too much rain, too little rain, freeze, hail, to name a few)

With the rising cost of spraying, farmers often choose to spray their own fields. They also benefit from choosing when the crops need spraying instead of waiting for the scheduled commercial sprayer. There are potential risks to accidental over spraying of neighbors fields due to wind or sudden and accidental discharge of chemicals from the spray unit. We will gladly explain how to protect your farm while benefiting from spraying your own crops.

Fire

Insects, but not damage allowed because of insufficient or improper application of pest control measures

Plant Disease,but not damage allowed because of insufficient or improper application of pest control measures

Wildlife (deer damage is an example)

Earthquake

Volcanic eruption

Failure of the irrigation water supply

Adjusted Gross Revenue is a whole farm revenue protection plan. The plan provides protection against low revenue due to unavoidable natural disasters and market fluctuations that affect income during the insurance year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination in all of its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion,age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital status. As an agency who represents the USDA. in the crop insurance program, we comply with its requirements.

For more information about the value of Crop Insurance, contact us for a risk management review.

Farm - Home Coverage

Covers:

Farm insurance is different then homeowners because the form or policy, which is regulated and authorized by the Pennsylvania State Insurance Department, has many different functions and provisions. One difference is that a homeowner policy excludes any commercial or business activity. By definition, farming, including horse farms are a business even if they are not making a profit. The reason the homeowner policy cannot provide for these activities is that it would be unfair to other people who are not involved in these activities to be part of this risk pool. Those activities like boarding horses, riding instruction and even private horse ownership entail an inherent risk that is much greater than a house on a quarter of an acre. Farms have larger acreage which from time to time have guest that are invited and trespassers that are not. The invited guest can get bit, stomped, or kicked by large livestock such as horses or cattle. Uninvited guests, which some consider trespasser can get injured while snowmobiling, hunting, or swimming in farm ponds. How can the farm owner be responsible for trespassers? We are whether it seems fair or not because it is how the courts look at bodily injury. Horses and cattle can also escape from their pasture or barn. When a 1000 pound or larger animal gets out on the road, and hit by a car, the car's damage and any bodily injury is the responsibility of the owner of the animal. Again, Livestock and horses are usually excluded from an unendorsed homeowner's policy. By the way, dog bites are the number one liability claim on homeowner policies. Many homeowner companies use a list of dogs that will make a home ineligible to insure if the owner has one of the dogs on that list. German Shepherds, Doberman Pinchers, Pit Bull, and rotweillers are a few of these dogs. A farm policy may consider these dogs more favorably as some are work dogs and are commonly found there. Tractor accidents are also a risk found on a farm. Operating tractors can be very dangerous and also are a common liability claim. Many tractors drive on public roads towing large pieces of equipment. Impatient drivers often pass in the worst locations and usually claim the farmer cut them off. The liability whether at fault or not is provided by the farm policy.

Legal defense is costly. If a horse farm or crop farmer is sued the legal defense is included as part of the coverage on the policy. It is almost like have an attorney on a retainer.

	Your home
	Personal property
	Related private structures
	Additional living costs and loss of rents

Also included with certain limitations:

	Inflation guard
	Emergency and debris removal
	Landslide
	Credit card, forgery, counterfeit money
	Personal property replacement cost
	Trees, shrubs, plants, lawns
	Grave markers
	Glass breakage
	Outdoor radio, TV, satellite dish antennas
	Well pumps
	Private power and light poles
	Refrigerator food spoilage

Available enhancements:

	Earthquake
	Backup of sewers, drains, sumps
	Sprinkler leakage
	Scheduled personal property: All risk for jewelry, guns, gems, furs
	Computers
	Business property
	Expanded replacement cost terms

Farm - Personal Liability

Covers:

You and your spouse, resident dependent relative, pets and farm animals

Pays for:

	Damages due to bodily injury and/or property damages, for which you are legally liable, caused by an occurrence arising from or in the course of your personal or farming activities.
	Reasonable medical expenses for bodily injury to visitors and guests on your farm.

Also included with certain limitations:

	Defense and legal costs
	Damage to property of others
	Contracts and agreements
	Personal injury
	Watercraft
	Sudden and accidental pollution liability
	First aid expenses for others
	Custom farm work
	Fire legal liability

Available enhancements for purchase include:

	Additional residences
	Farms or structures rented to others
	Care provided for others
	Business activities
	Office, professional, private school or studio on the farm premises
	Employers liability only when Workers Comp does not apply
	Custom farming
	Recreational motor vehicles
	Unregistered farm truck
	Horse and carriage
	Other incidental business pursuits

To request a quote click here.

Did you know disability insurance can pay the cost to hire an employee while an insured is recovering from an injury?

Modern day farming has become more efficient and because of  modern equipment it has become less physically demanding.  Just ask any farmer and he will tell you he works a 9-5 job just like anyone else.  With all kidding aside, Farming is as demanding on the farmer as  his responsibilities are greater and  trying to repair modern equipment is often only possible by highly trained professionals.  Nevertheless,  these photos, at a local Mertztown farm and the Kutztown Folk Festival ,  are excellent illustrations of a simpler time and back breaking work.  Progress seems so swift, and the "old days" are so far off that it is easy to forget where we came from.