New York Orchard & Fruit Grower Insurance

Many orchards and fruit farms build their program around a farmowners package policy, which can combine the farm dwelling, barns and outbuildings, scheduled farm equipment, and farm liability in one policy. Depending on the operation, growers may add product liability for farm stand and wholesale sales, workers’ compensation for employees, commercial auto for delivery and box trucks, and coverage for cold storage and packing equipment. The combination that may fit depends on what you grow, how you sell it, and whether the public visits your farm.

Generally no. A farmowners policy is typically designed for buildings, equipment, livestock, and liability — not for growing crops. Losses to the crop itself from frost, hail, drought, or excess rain are usually addressed through federal multi-peril crop insurance programs administered by the USDA Risk Management Agency and sold through approved crop insurance providers, or through named-peril crop-hail policies. We can help you understand how farm property coverage and crop insurance fit together.

Inviting the public into your orchard changes the risk picture. Visitors can slip on wet ground, fall from ladders, or be injured around equipment, wagons, or farm animals. New York has enacted agritourism legislation that addresses farm owner liability for certain inherent risks when proper signage and practices are in place, but it does not eliminate the exposure. Farm liability coverage written with agritourism activities in mind, along with documented safety practices, is typically how growers approach U-pick operations.

If you sell fruit, cider, baked goods, jams, or other products directly to consumers, you have a products exposure — a claim could allege illness or injury from something you sold. Farm liability policies may include some products coverage, but operations that process food (such as pressing cider or baking) or sell wholesale to stores often need broader product liability protection. Retailers and wholesale buyers also commonly require certificates of insurance showing product liability limits.

New York requires workers’ compensation coverage for most farm employees, and the rules around farm labor have tightened in recent years. Seasonal harvest help, part-time stand workers, and H-2A workers generally need to be accounted for in your coverage. Because farm payroll fluctuates with the season, accurate payroll reporting and classification matter. A licensed insurance professional can help you review the requirements for your specific workforce.

It can. Once you ferment and sell an alcoholic product, you typically take on liquor liability exposure in addition to product liability, and your processing equipment and inventory may need to be specifically addressed. New York farm cidery licensing has encouraged many orchards to add hard cider, but insurance for alcohol production and tasting rooms is usually structured differently than coverage for fresh fruit sales. Tell us about any cider, wine, or spirits operations so the right markets can be approached.