Our local farms, ranches, vineyards and wineries are a vital part of our unique local economy, but agribusiness insurance can be a tricky thing to understand. We want to make sure your farm business has the right coverage to protect you from any possible loses; to do so it’s important to determine is whether or not your operation is considered a hobby farm. This term is quite broad and can apply to someone who grows vegetables sells them at a roadside stand, or even someone who tinkers with wine making in their garage.
Some of these projects may be covered under an existing homeowners policy, but it’s important to talk to your insurance agent about the specifics of your homeowners policy and your venture to find out if this is the case.
What we need to know in order to make the distinction is: what you produce, how much you produce, and whether these products are being sold. We need to be able to identify all the operations that take place on the hobby farm by asking questions such as:
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Will crops be grown?
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Will livestock be raised?
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Will products from the farm be sold directly to the public?
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Will employees work on the farm?
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Will equipment be used?
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Will children or visitors visit the farm?
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Will animals be boarded for others?
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Will equipment be leased?
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Will land be rented?
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Will buildings be used in farm operations?
Once we have a grasp of your plan and your statement of operations, we can determine what will be covered under your existing policy, or what kind of additional insurance we can supply you with to make sure you’re protected! Give us a call at 707-526-7900 to talk to an agent about protecting your farm stand, vineyard, ranch or other agribusiness enterprise!