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Small farms growing specialty crops face certain challenges when it comes to crop insurance. Nick Carter, Indiana Farm Bureau member and owner of Mud Creek Farm, shared the importance of small farms with the Senate Agriculture Committee Wednesday.
“It was a great opportunity to be able to share with the ag committee that the farm bill has opportunities to make federal programs more accessible and more beneficial to small, diversified agriculture. For example, crop insurance is fairly inaccessible to small farmers, the same with a lot of the grant programs that have become pretty onerous to apply for and manage. But small farms have a huge impact on local economies, rural economies, and they need to be focused on.”
Carter stressed to the committee how specialty crop growers need improved access to crop insurance.
“Specialty crops are some of the riskiest crops to put out, they’re far more sensitive to changes in weather patterns and just climate issues. If you’re putting out specialty crops like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, any of the foods that we eat on our plate, it’s very difficult to get crop insurance that’s meaningful, actually mitigates the risk of putting it out. And so, as a result, I think we’re seeing fewer farmers willing to convert into growing specialty crop from row crop because the risks are just insurmountable.”
Carter says it is important that all farmers share their farm bill priorities with elected officials, not just those growing specialty crops or running small farms.
“Real farmers have got to be here in DC making our voices heard. The people in that committee are not farmers themselves. They’ve never grown food and they haven’t delivered a baby calf, they’ve never collected eggs and sold them on the market. So, they’ve got to understand what it’s like for their constituents who are feeding America.”
Located within the City of Indianapolis, Mud Creek Farm is comprised of 20 acres that are home to 400 laying hens, a flock of lamb and goats – finishing 20 head per-year – a 1,600 square foot greenhouse and two acres of specialty crops. Their crops include a wide array of high-value consumer products including lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, green beans, peppers, sweet corn, and winter squash.
Carter is also a co-founder of Market Wagon. In 23 cities around the Midwest and South, Market Wagon operates fulfillment hubs that use proprietary logistics technology and practices to deliver food from over 1,500 small farmers just like Mud Creek Farm directly to consumers’ doorsteps. The consumer experience is an e-commerce grocery service with an entirely unique supply chain comprised of small, diversified farms and food purveyors.