Rain Makes Grain
July 2024

Darcy Pralle, Crop Insurance Specialist

Most areas are seeing an abundance of rainfall as we head into Summer. June of 2023 was one of the dryest on record and June of 2024 might go down as one of the wettest Junes for our territory. The only downside is that most of the Corn Belt is receiving good rainfall, so the depressed grain markets predict a big harvest. If grain prices continue to drop, the producers taking advantage of new insurance products like Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) could see some claims this year. ECO stacks on top of your current Multi-Peril Crop Insurance to give you a higher-level protection and it includes a subsidy as well. The drop in corn prices during 2023 produced a lot of ECO payments for producers, even though we harvested excellent yields (which led to zero payments from your Multi-Peril Crop Insurance policy). If you are curious how your neighbor got a Crop Insurance check with a bumper harvest, please reach out to the Risk Management Team and Jim Ward or Darcy Pralle would be happy to explain! 

Switching subjects, our cattle producers are seeing another good run in the cattle markets this year. Of course, it only takes an arm and a leg to buy a pen of calves to fatten out. The high prices look great to the naked eye, but they are causing a lot of thin margins for those buying and reselling calves later. If you can’t afford to let margins slip away, Ag Partners has Livestock Risk Protection to set a floor price now and give you peace of mind if markets fall later this year when you are selling those calves. If you’re 100% sure these high cattle prices are here to stay please share your crystal ball with us, we would love to take a gander! 

Last but not least, a little housekeeping topic. Please get your 2024 planted acres turned in as soon as possible to FSA and your Crop Insurance Agent. The deadline is July 15th and we want you to have plenty of time to make any edits or corrections. Also, when you receive your Schedule of Insurance in the mail outlining all the final coverages on your farm, please give it a thorough review. We want your crops, acres, shares, etc. to be perfect this summer so there are no bad surprises if we have a claim on those come Harvest time. If you have any concerns please reach out to Jim Ward or Darcy Pralle at Ag Partners for assistance. 

Hope everyone has an enjoyable summer! 

Preparing For Spring
April 2024

Darcy Pralle, Crop Insurance Specialist

To kick things off, the Risk Management team would like to express a word of gratitude to all our current and new operations that chose us for their Crop Insurance needs in 2024. We are fortunate to have a thriving portfolio of insurance services and strive to be the best for our producers. We look forward to serving you all for many years to come. Thank you! 

As I type this article in late March there is hail falling in portions of the Ag Partners territory, and unfortunately, this isn’t the first hailstorm we’ve seen this March. I hate to say it’s a sign of more to come this year, but reviewing your hail coverage options before a storm is much better than after. Whether you’re a long-time buyer of hail policies or new to hail coverage it never hurts to reach out and learn more. We understand margins are thinner for operations this year, but nothing gives you the peace of mind with section-by-section coverage that a hail policy can. Plus, with a starting point around a couple bucks per acre, we will make sure it doesn’t break the bank. Since hail coverage is a private product it’s not a bad idea to look around at different companies for policy options. Or better yet, let the Ag Partners team do the shopping and offer you some new choices that could put more money in your pocket this year. 

Also, with planting season here, I wanted to touch on replant and prevent plant guidelines. Replant payments are calculated on a specific crop bushels x spring price. For example, corn is 8 bushel x $4.66 = $37.28/ac replant payment. There are certain dates and rules to follow but these payments are nothing to shake a stick at. Also, prevent plant normally pays 55% of your revenue guarantee per acre on corn and 60% of your revenue guarantee per acre on soybeans. Hopefully, Mother Nature doesn’t throw us a curve ball but if you have questions about replant and prevent plant rules, please reach out to Jim Ward or Darcy Pralle ahead of time. Sadly the, “do it now and beg for forgiveness later” plan isn’t listed in the Federal Government’s rule book, so please reach out when you first notice an issue. We are happy to guide you through any scenarios or questions your operation runs into this Spring. 

Wishing you a safe planting season and thanks again to all our amazing producers! 

Livestock Risk Protection To Cover Cattle Risks

Jim Ward, Crop Insurance & CFA Specialist

Livestock risk protection (LRP) programs offer significant benefits to farmers and ranchers, serving as a crucial risk management tool in the volatile agricultural sector. By providing subsidized insurance coverage against unexpected declines in livestock prices, LRP shields producers from financial losses stemming from market fluctuations. This safeguard allows agricultural operations to mitigate uncertainties inherent in livestock production, thereby promoting stability and sustainability within the industry. Currently, LRP is setting a July and August feeder cattle price at over $260 and Fat cattle over $180. If you would like an opportunity to lock in these prices please call Darcy Pralle (785)268-0634 or Jim Ward (785)741-1652 for more information.