Pasture, Rangeland & Forage Insurance

What

• The rainfall is indexed using latitude and longitude placing land with a roughly 17x17-mile grid. 
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association uses weather station data to calculate the precipitation within each grid during each two-month interval. 
• Your specific production is not taken into account. Indemnities are based on the grid’s precipitation.
• Several choices to make:
• coverage level
• index intervals (what months to insure)
• irrigated practice
• productivity factor (value of land)
• number of acres

When

• Calendar year policy: December 1 sales closing date
• Hay ground must take at LEAST one mechanical cutting per summer. 
• Livestock certification records are required for ground insured for grazing.

Why

• Especially in the Northeast, the water table that is developed in the winter months is crucial for our first cutting cool-weather grasses. 
• On dairy operations, forage makes up largely 30% of a total mixed ration. That means a poor growing year could play a large effect in your feed budget and milk component profitability.