How-To Library

When you hook up an anhydrous ammonia (NH3) tank to head to the field, you're preparing to provide your corn crop a cost-efficient source of nitrogen. You're also taking responsibility for a potentially dangerous chemical that can be deadly if not handled responsibly.

Farmers have unique needs when it comes to insurance policies for their farming operations. Add horses to the equation and specific policy add-ons should be considered including: fire and theft; care, custody and control; and commercial liability. Care, custody and control insurance protects those who board or train horses or are responsible for other people's horses while breeding, racing or showing them.

Only recently has the science of ergonomics been applied to farm work to help reduce the number of injuries that cost commercial agriculture millions of dollars each year in health care expenses, lost wages and lowered productivity.

For many Americans, Social Security makes up a sizable amount of their income in retirement. In 2018, 63 million Americans received approximately one trillion dollars in Social Security benefits, with a majority of those funds going to retired workers. However, due to the way in which many farm operators utilize the tax code to adjust their income, many farmers run the risk of not qualifying for Social Security retirement benefits.

The growing sophistication of today’s farmers and ranchers calls for a strong understanding of the challenges and risks inherent to 21stcentury agriculture. When you see an agent is On YourSide®Nationwide Farm Certified, you can rest assured he or she is a trusted advisor with the training and experience necessary to help you overcome those challenges now and well into the future.

As a farmer just getting started, you may have incurred personal debt in order to finance the growth of your farm. This debt has a life of its own and will survive your premature passing. This debt means that less of your assets will be available to support your loved ones. A level term life insurance policy that covers the duration of your debt is an easy and cost-effective way to help make sure your debt does not burden your loved ones after your passing.

With the growing number of truck and vehicle fleets being maintained on today’s large farms, farmers face increasing work in keeping track of every worker and machine. While that evolution opens up new risk exposures, safety is just one of the value propositions that makes telematics a worthwhile addition to any large farm operation.

Finding time to talk to your family about succession planning for your farm may be difficult. You may also be uncomfortable with the thought of selling your farm or handing over control to family members. Make the time to develop a solid transition plan for your farming business. You’ll help ensure that your family’s wishes are met, and emotional stress is minimized.

Operating a farm presents daily risks to farmers, employees and visitors. Proper liability insurance is necessary to protect your assets and secure your business, home, and other investments. But how much is enough? Southern States® has partnered with Nationwide® Agribusiness Insurance to provide vital information on liability insurance and how it can effect your farm and your future.

A couple hours of downtime due to equipment failure can be costly. That’s especially true for large farms with multiple, complex operations happening at once. Thermal imaging can help you stay on top of machinery and equipment performance and prevent small issues from becoming big costly problems.

Many people purchase insurance for their home or farm and then neglect to periodically review their policy or reassess their insurance needs. Unfortunately, this can lead to a gap in insurance coverage and prove costly when you file a claim and discover that you are underinsured. It's a good idea to meet with your insurance agent annually or whenever there is a change to your personal life circumstances or your farming business.

For many farmers, retirement is just not something they intend to do. While the average age of a U.S. farmer continues to climb and now stands at 57.5 years, health issues may force some operators to retire or semi-retire from the day-to-day farm activities earlier then intended. A large consideration facing aging farmers or ranchers is the health care options available to them. . . and how they will pay for these services. For many Americans 65 and older, the answer is Medicare.