News

Agent says farms and insurance have changed over the years

A farm insurance agent says what is covered and how has changed a lot over the years.  Mike Immel says he has seen farms grow in size, and coverage options change.  “The liability exposures, the employee factors.  We have to bring employees in and we have to talk about worker’s compensation then.  The buildings, to make sure you have replacement cost coverage on those buildings versus actual cash value.  Pollution coverage.  All of that stuff has evolved throughout the years.”

Immel tells Brownfield there are policy endorsements most farmers don’t know about.  “Power and light pole coverage, glass breakage on tractor cabs, so many different things.  Medical pay for family members, high deductibles on health insurance so you can buy a medical pay endorsement on your farm policy that will pick up your deductible on the health insurance.  Little things like that will fill the gaps for you.”

And, Immel says many property owners don’t understand what is covered, and what isn’t, such as when a building collapses.  “There’s two different collapses.  You’ve got the windstorm collapsed building.  That’s covered, but if you have (the) heavy weight of snow, ice, sleet or something like that, that has to be a special endorsement and not all buildings qualify for it so you need to communicate with your agents on those coverages.”

Immel says farmers should sit down with their agent to talk about policies and endorsements that might be beneficial annually or sooner if there is a change in the farm operations.

Mike Immel is a Rural Mutual Insurance agent serving the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin area since 1982, and talked to Brownfield at the WPS Farm Show.