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Expanding the Micro Farm Program in the next farm bill

A crop insurance provider says work is underway to improve the Micro Farm Program in the next farm bill.

Cory Blumerick with GreenStone Farm Credit Services says Micro Farm policies protect small farmer revenue and some value-added products.

“No matter your size of farm, you need quality risk management,” he says “A $50,000 operation has the same need for revenue risk management as a $5,000,000 operation.”

His team wrote 45 percent of all Micro Farm policies when USDA’s Risk Management Agency authorized the program in 2022, and nearly 90 percent of the policies certified in Michigan.

Blumerick tells Brownfield some crop agents and agencies have been reluctant to sign producers up for the program because of time constraints, but lawmakers have been receptive to streamlining the process.

“Writing these policies involves a lot of work with tax returns, and doing all that while those agencies may be working on corn and soybean policies, he says.”

He says open communication with officials has also increased the policy cap to $350,000 and allowed coverage for vertically integrated entities since the policy was first authorized.

Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow says one of her farm bill priorities is making program enrollment less cumbersome.