Berry Picking Farm Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your berry farm is essential.
Berry farmers need a variety of insurance to cover risks for their holdings, including home and belongings coverage, protection for the farm buildings and other property, and general liability.
For example, trespassers regularly use a track on your land as a shortcut. If one of them is attacked and injured by your dog, you may be liable for their injuries. Thankfully, you can purchase insurance to protect against such an occurrence.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Berry Picking Farm
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for berry farms.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
Regardless, your berry farm may also need protection from other risks. Three common risks that many businesses are exposed to and the policies that cover them are:
- Commercial property coverage: This policy offers protection to a business’ physical assets, such as farm buildings, from risks posed by fire or flood, as well as losses due to praedial larceny. Importantly, damage to your farm equipment will also be covered.
- Commercial auto insurance: If your farm vehicles use any public highway, they will be required to carry vehicle liability insurance. For vehicles that stay on the farm, comprehensive liability insurance will cover any damage they sustain while engaged in farming activities.
- Business income coverage: A policy of this kind will reimburse you for loss of income due to an unfortunate event that halts the operation of your business. It will also provide recompense for expenses incurred to resume normal operations.
When the time comes to purchase insurance, you’ll have to decide which one of the two kinds of insurer to go with:
- Traditional brick and mortar insurers: These are the kind of companies that have existed for hundreds of year. Their pricing policies are based on statistical models and blanket risk categories that lump vastly different people together because they are of the same age and gender.
- Online insurers: These providers use AI to interpret myriads of data points which results in more precise and customized pricing, as well as a better fit between product and person.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, berry-picking farms in America spend between $300 - $800 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a berry picking farm to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Berry Picking Farm
Example 1: While picking berries at your farm, a customer slips on some mud, break a wrist, and decides to sue your business for causing her injuries. General liability insurance would cover your legal fees as well as any required settlement.
Example 2: While hauling a load of berries across the field using an all-terrain vehicle, an employee accidentally runs over a customer’s bag and damages the laptop and photography equipment stored inside. General liability insurance would cover the cost of repairing or replacing the customer’s damaged property.
Example 3: A competitor sues your business, claiming you libeled his company in your last advertisement. General liability insurance would cover your legal defense costs.
Other Types of Coverage Berry Picking Farms Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Most states require businesses to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their part-time and full-time employees. This coverage protects your employees if they become injured at work or fall ill after a work-related accident. It not only covers an employee’s medical bills and lost wages if they need time to recover but also any disability or death benefits stemming from a work-related accident.
Commercial Property Insurance
You made a major investment to start your berry farm. If you own the building(s) in which you operate, commercial property insurance would cover the cost of repairing or replacing your business-related property in the event of a fire, theft, or natural disaster. This includes structural damage to your building(s) or grounds as well as your plants, equipment, supplies, and pest control products.
Product Liability Insurance
While you strive to grow fresh, delicious berries, there’s always a chance one of your customers might claim your product caused them harm. In the event of a lawsuit, product liability insurance would cover your legal fees and any required settlement.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Any vehicle you use primarily for business requires commercial auto insurance to protect the vehicle, driver, and others on the road in the event of an accident. Be sure to select a policy that covers not only accident-related vehicle repair costs and medical treatment for anyone injured, but also sufficient protection for any business equipment, products, or supplies you carry in your vehicle.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your berry picking farm:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Berry Picking Farm Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Yes, insurance should be purchased before you put the first seed in the ground. Without coverage from the very first day, your berry farm could be at risk not only from some unseen peril but for violating the law.
Some types of insurance, such as workers’ compensation and commercial auto insurance, are legal requirements. Moreover, the farm may require business insurance to protect against certain risks, such as damage to property and personal injury to visitors, and in some cases, even to trespassers.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your berry picking farm insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.