Mike Smith talks with Today's Farmer magazine about Crop Insurance and Yes, there is a QUIZ.

In my 28 years of meeting with farmers, I still come across producers who want to understand their crop insurance better. I’ve often heard comments such as, “You have explained more to us in 15 minutes than we have understood since starting to insure.” Although I am humbled by such comments, I am disappointed that no one has ever explained crop insurance in a manner that they understood. Producers should hold their agents accountable for the service they are paying for.

How many of these questions can you answer about your crop insurance?

These are 10 valuable things to know about how your policy works:
1. How is your actual production history determined?
2. How is the value per bushel guarantee established?
3. How is my guarantee affected when the prices fall at harvest time?
4. When does my insurance coverage end?
5. What if I lose a complete field to a covered loss? How will I be paid?
6. What if I can’t get all my fields planted?
7. What if I can’t get all my fields harvested?
8. Am I utilizing my crop insurance in the manner it was designed? Am I maximizing marketing opportunities?
9. How much of my crop am I self-insuring?
10. Is my coverage structured in a manner that allows me to withstand a catastrophic year?

These and many more questions can be answered when you have an agent who takes the opportunity to contact you for a consultative appointment. Knowing the ins and outs of your crop insurance could be the most important aspect of your farming operation this year.

Important dates to remember
February 1-28: Price discovery for spring planted crops (differs slightly in some areas).
March 15: Spring crops sales closing date (differs slightly in some areas).
April 29: Deadline to report last year’s spring crops production.
July 15: Deadline to report 2019 spring crops planted acres.
October 1-31: Harvest price discovery period for spring crops.
December 10: End of insurance period and last day to turn in a claim.

These are just a few important dates that pertain to spring-planted crops. There are numerous dates involved with crop insurance. Many of the dates are specific to your location. I encourage you to visit with one of our local agents to confirm dates that are important to your farming operation.

Written by Mike Smith, MFA Crop Insurance Principal Agent for Today's Farmer magazine.

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(AS Printed in the Feb. Issue of Today's Farmer Magazine.)