Mississippi and farming are so intertwined that it is hard to imagine one without the other. Agriculture is not only our state’s No. 1 industry; it employs roughly one-third of our population, contributing $5.8 billion to the state’s economy. There are approximately 42,000 farms in the state covering 11 million acres, producing rice, cotton, soybeans and other commodities, and there is not a county in our state where farming doesn’t play a major role.

Agriculture in this state, and throughout the U.S., has been one of the bright spots that is helping the U.S. turn the economic corner. But the productivity of the American farm and the consumer benefits of the American food supply did not just happen in a vacuum. And hands down, farmers across the country will tell you that their most important risk management tool is crop insurance.

As a crop insurance agent who was on more than a few farms the day after Hurricane Katrina struck, I can tell you first-hand that crop insurance was a financial lifeline for many farmers…

William Cole is a crop insurance agent from Batesville, Mississippi.