USDA Introduces “Micro Farm” Crop Insurance Policy for Farmers Who Sell Locally

Agricultural producers with small-scale farms who sell locally can now get simplified insurance coverage through a new policy designed for their needs. Announced Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced the new Micro Farm policy, which simplifies recordkeeping and covers post-production costs like washing and value-added products. Geared towards local producers, Micro Farm is offered through Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP).

Micro Farm is available for the 2022 crop year and sales closing dates are Jan. 31, 2022, Feb. 28, 2022, or March 15, 2022, depending on the producer’s county. Producers with crops insured under another crop insurance policy or a vertically integrated operation will not be eligible. The Micro Farm policy builds on other RMA efforts to better serve specialty and organic crop growers. This includes WFRP, which provides coverage for producers with larger operations that may not be eligible for Micro Farm.

Read the full release to learn more about details of the Micro Farm policy.