Farm Bureau Insurance is offering a free insurance plan to homeowners and renters who are not covered by a traditional mortgage.
The service, called Farm Bureau Farm and Home, will cover about $50 in cash premiums to cover farm products and farm services, including irrigation, crop insurance, and pest control.
The Farm Bureau says the service is not just for the average homeowner.
“We have people that are homeowners that we know will have the farm insurance,” said David Johnson, vice president of government relations for the Farm Bureau.
“They’re homeowners that are really in need of a farm insurance.
We are not just a financial services company.”
Farm Bureau is offering the plan to new and existing homeowners in the state of California, and will cover up to $1,000 in farm product liability insurance and $1.25 million in crop insurance.
The farm bureau has partnered with other agricultural insurance companies and is currently offering the service in California.
“This is a really good, great service to consumers that are interested in farming,” said Mike Stacey, vice-president of public policy at the California Farm Bureau Association.
“There’s really not that many alternatives out there, and Farm Bureau is providing a really great solution.”
For homeowners, Farm Bureau will provide a simple form to sign up for a Farm Bureau farm insurance policy.
For renters, it will require an online application, but renters will be able to apply online.
For farmers, the service will provide free farm insurance and cover up of farm insurance liability.
The service is also being offered in the Washington, Oregon, and New Mexico states.
“It’s not a bad service,” said Michael D’Amico, a senior vice president with the California Department of Finance.
“The cost of insurance is going down and that will help make the farm business attractive to people who want to get into farming, and the risk is lower.”
For farmers, there is one other benefit to the free service: It’s free.
“People have been buying insurance for decades and this is an opportunity for them to save money,” said D’ Amico.