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Kansas farmer says crop insurance has helped him survive as farm bill discussions continue

Crop insurance has played a crucial role in keeping a Southwest Kansas farmer’s operation afloat.

Jim Sipes tells Brownfield anytime a farm bill conversation comes up, he gets nervous about crop insurance funding. “We’ve had a real challenge maintaining a safety net for our operation.  The only good thing that has happened for us is that commodity prices have gone up.  We’re holding our own.  We’re doing ok on the farm as far as economics, but it’s mostly because of a generous safety net.”

He says he’s worried that lawmakers may not authorize enough baseline funding. “Because we haven’t been spending very much since commodity prices have been high recently. We’re going to have to figure out a way to get more money into the crop insurance (title) of the farm bill if we can get one passed this year.”

Sipes says while the overall cost of the farm bill is a concern, lawmakers shouldn’t cut corners on programs that help improve bottom lines.