Crop insurance: A lifeline for farmers

BREWSTER, Wash. — A visit to Washington provided a powerful glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of local farmers as they navigate unpredictable weather and global market conditions.

And conversations with National Crop Insurance Services highlighted one critical theme: crop insurance has been a lifeline, helping these hardworking families stay afloat during difficult times.

Cass Gebbers, a fruit and cattle rancher from Brewster, pointed out the generational nature of agriculture.

“These tree fruits take decades to raise, and there’s a lot of risk. We need crop insurance to help hedge that,” he said, underscoring the importance of keeping family farms operational for the next generation.

“I get to take my grandkids to work every day. I work with my siblings. I work with my own kids,” Gebbers explained. “And that’s the passion — I love what I do.”

In the small town of Outlook, Washington, Matt Haak’s family has been growing apples, cherries and pears for generations.

In 2020, their orchard was hit by a 90-mph windstorm just days before harvest.

“There’s a lot of tears, a lot of emotion because it’s a team effort,” Haak recalled.

However, crop insurance provided a crucial safety net.

“I remember that day being able to say, guys, I know we’re going to be OK because we have crop insurance,” Haak said.

For Bryan Mrachek of Malaga, Washington, the significance of crop insurance became all too clear during a massive hailstorm of 2022.

“We were able to know what our policy was early enough to control our costs, and it kept us in business quite frankly,” he said.

Mrachek emphasized that without crop insurance, the farm would have suffered “this huge, massive loss” that could have upended his family’s business.

“If it wasn’t for the ‘22 crop insurance claim, I probably wouldn’t be standing here talking to you right now,” he said.

Jared England, a fruit grower from Wenatchee, Washington, shared that “specific weather events, mostly hail, are the ones that are most catastrophic to our crops.”

England noted that “crop insurance really comes in and helps us bridge that gap of the things that we can’t control,” providing essential support in times of unexpected challenges.

“Whole farm insurance has been very useful in helping us weather the storms, pricing and market dynamics — and other conditions that impact our fruit returns,” he said.

Sam Godwin of Tonasket, Washington, believes that farming is about seizing the opportunities that each new day brings, while facing significant challenges head on.

“The economics of farming is really challenging — it’s really easy to lose a lot of money with farming because of weather,” Godwin said.

He and his wife have grown their farm from 25 acres in 2001 to more than 300 acres today, all to stay economically viable and preserve their family farm for the next generation.

Crop insurance, he said, is key to managing his risk and ensuring that his children can follow in his footsteps.