Keeping crop insurance is critical

It’s no big secret that Missouri is facing its worst drought in 30 years. This has had a catastrophic effect on the state’s farm and livestock sector, prompting Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to declare every county in the state a disaster area in July. And while tropical storm Isaac brought us some much-needed rain, every county in the state remains in some level of drought.

As a Missouri farmer, I can tell you that there are few disappointments in life bigger than losing a crop. The loss not only robs you of income but also robs you of the joy of the harvest, which is what we farmers are all about.

If I hadn’t purchased a crop insurance policy this year to help me through an event like this, I possibly wouldn’t be able to farm again next year. But that’s the main reason why the federal government teamed up with the private sector years ago to form this public-