The 2014 Farm Bill was clearly a turning point in federal policy towards agriculture, pivoting away from the traditional support mechanism paradigm of the past and into a risk management model that features crop insurance as farmers’ primary—or only—risk management tool.  But with that new emphasis comes an increased need for basic information about crop insurance, what it is, how it works and why it has become the risk management tool of choice for America’s farmers.

These basics of crop insurance are available in an NCIS video titled “Crop Insurance 101.” The video is very helpful for Americans who have very little to do with agriculture, or for those who now find themselves needing to know more about this important risk management tool.

The video explains the public-private partnership of the crop insurance, the way crop insurance has removed some of the risk burden from taxpayers, and the role adjusters, and the companies they work for, play in the crop insurance program.  It also explains that in order to be protected by crop insurance, farmers must first purchase it with their own money.   Already this year, farmers have spent nearly $4 billion purchasing crop insurance.