CROP INSURANCE: How It’s Helping Farmers Break Even

For Winterset farmer, Dan Ryner, this bone dry summer is making it difficult to get out on the farm each morning.

“It’s just frustrating.  We had a great spring, got the crops in on time, and we have so much money invested,” said Ryner.

He’s spent upwards of $300,000 dollars, but during a drought year, Dan isn’t counting on his fields to give that money back.

“I don’t know if we’ll have a yield of more than 50 bushels per acre,” Ryner told Channel 13 News.

Ryner considers this cornfield as his casino. However, lady luck hasn’t been on his side this year, so he’s depending on crop insurance to help him break even.

That means that somebody has to pay. 

Kevin Johnson, the VP Sales Manager for Farmers Mutual Hail in West Des Moines says it’s a record year for claims.

“We have a little over 38,000 policies and about 70-75% of those policies to turn in claims which is just over 27,000 claims,” said Johnson.

The claims that help farmers depend on everyone’s federal tax dollars.

“Certain levels are probably subsidized 65%,” Johnson told Channel 13 News.

Without the policies… many farmers may not be able to afford to stay in business.

“If that farmer can’t afford to make his payments, he can’t farm anymore and he’s not buying cars, supplies, or clothes in town.”