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Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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Posted by deansfba z9 SanFranArea (My Page) on Tue, Mar 13, 07 at 22:15
| Does anyone have any suggestions for companies who sell liability insurance to people whose 'farm' is the back yard? This is harder than I thought... |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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I have a rider on my homeowners policy which gives me liability at my small farm stand and at the farmers market plus product liability. It is only an extra $30 a year. Check with your homeowners first, and if that company can't do it, ask others.
Ann |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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I tried my homeowners first and he wouldn't touch it. Others wanted me to take their homeowners as a condition...which I'd prefer to avoid. The ones I've gotten tentatively are in the $500 range...When you're working with less than a 1/4 of an acre this seems like a lot of selling to pay this off, especially when many agents admit they have never had a claim....
I'm trying with my county farmers bureau now to get their recs.... |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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First, rates depend partially on the state. I only have something like $100,000/300,000.
Some have a million dollar coverage and some farmers markets require that. If I needed that, I'd have to go for a farm policy.
Second, I go through a local agent who has several companies to choose from. I am not sure which one mine is right now. But the agent looks at companies that he works with to find which one(s) might cover what I need.
I'm pretty sure the actual company that covers me is not a national company, but rather just PA or regional.
So, I guess you have to do some homework.
Your $500 figure is what I'd have to pay for a FARM policy that would cover everything...home, farm, farmers markets, etc. for $1 million total. The $500 was a figure I got 2-3 years ago. At this time, I pay either $200 or $250 for the year, for the lower liability limits, including the rider for the farmers markets and my stand.
Ann |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| Does anyone have any ideas on what to do if you're not a homeowner? :( We rent. :P |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| Do you have to carry liability insurance to sell at farmers markets? I'm going to be doing herbs and cut flowers, and possibly mushrooms, at the local farmers market this year. They don't require insurance. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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our farmers market is requiring 1,000,000 liability insurance this year because of all the food claims that have been made regarding vegetables/produce. I did find a business liability policy through a local independent insurance agent that costs $333 a year. So you might want to check with an independent insurance agent. Our homeowners is through State Farm, they won't touch it.
Some markets require insurance, some don't. Ours didn't last year. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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Check with your local countys FARM BUREAU , Their weekly paper AG Alert has ins agents advertising in it.
Youo can find it on line if a member os FB
steve |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| I'm in Indiana, and for the first time in 10 yrs our farmers market are requiring a copy of our auto and business insurance. Auto insurance is not a problem, but finding insurance to cover the farmers market is being a problem. I only sell fruits, vegetables, herbs and plants. Any suggestions on which companies MIGHT cover me. At this time, I don't have farm or homeowners insurance. I own 28 acres. Any help will be appreciated. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| Join either the farm bureau or farmers union and you can get liability insurance for your farm/produce. I do not know the cost. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| Thanks for the info. I'm checking into the farmers union, and will check the farm bureau agent this week. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| I went to an agent for Grange insurance, and found out with sales of $7,000, they could insure me for about $300/yr. the agent also checked out AutoOwners for a policy and came back with $125/yr. both have 1 million coverage. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| I will be baking for my local market in MA. I've been told insurance would cost $350-$500 which seems like a lot for 8 weeks of baking. My homeowners won't touch it either. If the town doesn't require it, should I still get it? |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| >>If the town doesn't require it, should I still get it?<< yes. i recommend a consultation with a CPA and attorney familiar with the laws in your state and county/city, it is well worth the cost.
you may want to incorporate (LLC) your business and separate the business assets and liability from your personal assets and liability. getting everything set up correctly up front will save you much hassle and headache in the long run. you never know if or when your recipe/product/business may take off bigger than you expected. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| Indiana farmers mutual is where I got mine, it costs me $330 for 1,000,000 liability that follows you whereever you go, market wise. It didn't go up from last year to this one either. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| smitty2426: With all due respect to greenthumbs, our town does not require liability insurance either, and we do not carry it. Why should the insurance companies get a cut of my meager market earnings? Check out all the news stories about food-born illness. Where are they originating? NOT from small market growers but from the big BIG boys. Industrial organics and multi-national meatpackers. Insurance is a bet against yourself. And lawyers... don't get me started. If you are careful, skillful, know what you are doing, and establish trusting relationships with your customers you are way ahead of any corporate producer. Your personal relationship with your customers is the best policy. If things take off and sales boom and you are a screaming success, then heck yes, think about protecting yourself as you begin to sell so much product you can't keep track of where it's all going. For me, I think the insurance companies get way too much of people's money already. Especially considering how reluctant they are to part with it when someone makes a claim. Of course, if you feel you just want to make a contribution to their already overstuffed coffers, then by all means... I understand some people will find that foolhardy. I like the Amish resistance to insurance. They rely on community coherence, not a faceless, for-profit corporation, to help them out when trouble strikes. Adversity is an occaision for common labor for the benefit of a community member in trouble. Insurance, as they see it, is against the interests of the common good. I have much sympathy for their viewpoint. |
RE: Liability insurance for selling at farmers markets
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| Until this year, I did not carry insurance for anything except auto coverage, only because the state required it for plates. I never had a problem, I guess I should 'knock on wood'. But I also agree that the Amish communities thinking is more of what we need, versus more interference by government and the insurance companies. But that's another thread. |
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