Harvest season brings longer hours, more equipment on the road, higher stored-grain values, and additional activity throughout the farm. Before that activity reaches its peak, Northwest Ohio farm owners and operators should take time to review their farm insurance.
A pre-harvest review can identify machinery, buildings, grain, livestock, or operational changes that have not yet been reported. It can also help you understand how your policy treats borrowed equipment, roadside liability, property valuation, and an interruption to farm operations.
Use the following farm insurance checklist to prepare for a conversation with your insurance advisor.
Why Review Farm Insurance Before Harvest?
Farm operations can change considerably between insurance renewals. You may have purchased equipment, constructed a building, rented additional acreage, added custom work, or changed how existing property is used.
Harvest also concentrates several exposures into a relatively short period:
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More machinery operates for longer hours.
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Tractors and implements travel on public roads.
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Seasonal employees or family members may operate equipment.
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Grain inventories increase.
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Borrowed, leased, or rented machinery may be used.
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Breakdowns or property damage can interrupt time-sensitive work.
A review does not guarantee that every exposure can be insured, but it can help identify questions before a loss occurs.
For an overview of available coverage considerations, visit our farm insurance page.
Review Farm Dwellings and Household Property
Many farm policies combine personal and agricultural exposures, but the dwelling and household property still need accurate limits and information.
Tell your insurance advisor about changes such as:
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A home addition or major renovation
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A new roof, furnace, wiring system, or plumbing
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A finished basement or converted living area
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A wood-burning stove or other heating change
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A pool, trampoline, or other liability exposure
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Valuable property that may require separate scheduling
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A dwelling that is vacant, rented, or occupied differently than before
The dwelling limit should reflect an appropriate estimated rebuilding cost—not the property’s market value, purchase price, or tax valuation. Ask whether the dwelling is insured at replacement cost or actual cash value and whether any applicable policy conditions could affect a claim.
Confirm Barns, Bins, Shops, and Other Structures
Walk through the farm and compare the buildings you see with those listed on the policy. Check barns, grain bins, machine sheds, shops, garages, livestock buildings, and smaller structures.
For each structure, verify:
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The building is included on the policy.
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Its description and use are accurate.
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Its limit reflects the selected valuation method.
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Attached equipment or permanently installed systems are addressed.
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Renovations, additions, or upgrades have been reported.
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Vacant, unused, or deteriorated structures have been discussed.
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Newly constructed buildings have been added.
Ask whether buildings are scheduled individually or included under blanket coverage. You should also understand whether a structure is insured at replacement cost or actual cash value and whether coinsurance or other valuation provisions apply.
Older or functionally obsolete farm buildings may require special attention because replacing them with modern construction could cost substantially more than their depreciated value.
Update Machinery, Tractors, Tools, and Equipment
Equipment schedules can become outdated quickly. Compare the policy with a current inventory of tractors, combines, grain carts, planters, tillage equipment, skid steers, utility vehicles, tools, GPS systems, and other machinery.
Review:
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Equipment purchased since the last policy update
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Machinery that has been sold or traded
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Major attachments and permanently installed electronics
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Equipment values and applicable deductibles
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Leased or financed machinery
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Portable tools and equipment used away from the farm
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Newly acquired equipment provisions
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Equipment used for custom farming
Do not assume that borrowed, leased, or rented machinery is automatically covered. Coverage for physical damage, liability, transportation, and loss of use may depend on the policy, rental agreement, ownership, and how the equipment is being used.
Ask how your policy distinguishes direct property damage from mechanical or electrical breakdown. Equipment breakdown is not necessarily the same as coverage for collision, overturn, fire, theft, or wind damage.
Discuss Road Use and Farm Liability
Harvest brings slow-moving equipment onto roads throughout Northwest Ohio. Review how your farm policy, personal auto coverage, commercial auto coverage, or other policies apply when machinery travels on public roads.
Topics to discuss include:
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Tractors and implements traveling between fields
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Licensed and unlicensed operators
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Seasonal employees and family members
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Hired or non-owned vehicles
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Custom work performed for other farms
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Equipment transported on trailers
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Grain or materials falling from equipment
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Damage or injuries involving farm machinery
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Umbrella or excess liability coverage
Safety markings and lighting should comply with applicable requirements, but safety measures do not replace proper insurance. Coverage will depend on the vehicle or equipment involved, its ownership, its use, and the specific policy language.
Review Stored Grain, Livestock, and Farm Products
The value of stored grain can increase quickly during harvest. Tell your advisor where grain is stored, who owns it, and whether policy limits account for seasonal inventory changes.
Questions to ask include:
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Is stored grain covered at all insured locations?
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Does the limit increase during harvest?
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Which causes of loss are covered?
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How is damaged grain valued?
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Are grain owned by others or stored under contract addressed?
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Are contamination, spoilage, heating, or equipment-related losses limited or excluded?
Do not assume every cause of grain spoilage or loss is covered. Coverage for contamination, temperature changes, moisture, equipment failure, market-price changes, or improper storage may be limited or excluded.
Livestock coverage also varies. Confirm which animals or classes of livestock are insured, where coverage applies, how values are determined, and which causes of loss are covered. Standard property coverage should not be confused with broad animal mortality coverage.
Evaluate Business Income and Extra Expense Needs
Property insurance may help repair or replace covered physical property, but the farm could also lose income or incur additional expenses while operations are interrupted.
Business income and extra expense coverage may help after a covered property loss, subject to the policy’s terms. It does not apply to every shutdown, poor yield, price change, mechanical failure, or loss of market.
Ask your advisor:
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What type of covered loss must occur before coverage applies?
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Which farm income is included in the calculation?
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Are continuing operating expenses addressed?
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Is extra expense coverage included?
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Does a waiting period apply?
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How long can benefits continue?
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Are dependent-property or utility interruptions addressed?
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Are records sufficient to document a loss?
Farm revenue, expenses, and seasonal income patterns can change, so limits based on old figures may no longer reflect the operation.
Consider Custom Farming and Other Operational Changes
Farm policies are based partly on how the operation is described. Notify your advisor if you have expanded beyond the activities originally reported.
Examples include:
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Performing custom planting, spraying, harvesting, or hauling
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Repairing equipment for others
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Selling products directly to consumers
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Operating a roadside stand
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Hosting visitors, tours, events, or agritourism activities
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Boarding horses or caring for animals owned by others
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Renting buildings or storage space to another party
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Adding employees or increasing payroll
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Acquiring or renting additional farmland
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Forming a new business entity
These activities may create exposures that are not addressed by property and liability coverage designed only for the farm’s original operations.
Documents to Bring to Your Farm Insurance Review
A productive review begins with current information. Consider gathering:
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Your current insurance policies and declarations pages
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A complete building list with uses and estimated values
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A machinery and equipment inventory
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Purchase documents for newly acquired equipment
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Lease and rental agreements
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Current grain-storage information
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Livestock inventories
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Revenue and expense records
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Employee and payroll information
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Vehicle and driver lists
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Contracts for custom farming or other services
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Photographs of major buildings and equipment
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Records of renovations and construction
You may also want to photograph serial numbers and retain copies of equipment purchase records in a secure location away from the farm.
For additional background, read our guide to farm insurance basics in Northwest Ohio.
Prepare Your Farm for Harvest
Insurance cannot prevent a storm, equipment accident, fire, or liability claim. However, an accurate policy and a current inventory can make it easier to understand how your coverage is intended to respond.
Short Agency Insurance works with farm owners and operators throughout Northwest Ohio. If your buildings, equipment, grain inventory, livestock, employees, or operations have changed, now is a good time to review those changes with an insurance advisor.
To discuss your operation and available options, request a farm insurance quote or contact Short Agency Insurance before harvest begins.
Coverage descriptions are general and are not a statement of coverage. Actual coverage is determined by the applicable policy language, endorsements, exclusions, limits, deductibles, valuation provisions, and circumstances of each loss.
