Good things grow in Ontario indeed! With increased awareness around and encouragement for consumers to buy local, there has never been more of a demand for the grains, crops, eggs, dairy and meat products raised on Ontario commercial and hobby farms. As rewarding as it is to put food on Ontario’s dinner tables, agriculture is not for the weak of heart. The commercial insurance experts at ALIGNED have got you covered with the information and protections you need all in one place – so you don’t have to piece together your Ontario farm’s risk-management plan from several sources.
Safety Tips For Ontario Farmers
To assist you with your duty to protect your farm workers as per the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Government of Ontario’s “Health and Safety in Farming Operations” page provides Ontario farmers with an overview of the OHSA and its applications in your day-to-day farming operations, links to the various regulations that apply to farming operations in Ontario and OHSA safety standards for various functions being carried out every day on farms across Ontario.
These safety tips are from the “Slips, trips and falls on farming operations” page and are recommendations to help you and your workers avoid injuries and for safe working around machinery:
Taking extra care around machinery
Your workers should never jump from a tractor. There is always the danger of catching clothing on pedals, levers or other protruding parts. Workers could land on an uneven surface and injure their ankles, legs or back.
Your workers should:
- never operate equipment from any position other than the operator’s seat or control area
- never allow passengers because they are much more likely to fall from a moving machine
- not carry tools, chains or other equipment on a platform
- always use handrails, handholds and steps to mount or dismount tractors and self-propelled equipment
- follow the three-point system, either two hands and one foot, or one hand and two feet on the machine at all times
You should:
- instruct workers on the proper techniques for mounting and dismounting equipment
- keep steps and platforms of tractors and other machinery clean and dry
- make sure surfaces are free from mud, ice, snow, manure, grease and other debris”
Regardless of the workplace, safety is a priority and this is especially true of farm work.
Farm Insurance in Ontario
ALIGNED’s solution for farm insurance in Ontario is a comprehensive and customizable package of insurance coverages designed for Ontario farmers including:
- Cash Crop Farm
- Cattle and Dairy Farms
- Hog Farm
- Egg and Poultry Farm
- Hobby Farms
- Beef Farm
- Organic Farm
First and foremost, our farm insurance packages provide coverages for farm produce, crops, livestock and farming machinery and equipment. For more detailed information, visit our Canadian Farm Insurance Coverage Overview page.
As mentioned in the introduction, ALIGNED is a one-stop-shop for all the coverages your Ontario farm needs to protect it from the ups and downs of agribusiness. Some other coverages that are typically included in a farm insurance plan in Ontario include:
Property Insurance
This coverage can protect farm outbuilding like sheds, barns, silos, feed tanks and grain bins and their contents from fires, flooding, hail and other bad weather events. Your Ontario farm may also need:
- Business Interruption protection to help you stay on top of your operating costs after an insured peril.
- Extra Expense coverage to help you with the costs to set up a temporary farming operation if your farm is hit with a peril covered in your property insurance coverage because farming needs to get done no matter what the weather.
Commercial General Liability Insurance
CGL insurance provides legal protection against lawsuits alleging personal injury, property damage, false advertising or libel/slander. This mainly protects you should people (other than employees) are injured on your farm or if their property is damaged due to your farming operations. We also recommend that your farm insurance in Ontario include:
- Product Liability Insurance
- Product Recall Insurance
- Pollution Liability Insurance
Boiler & Machinery Insurance / Farm Equipment Breakdown Insurance
Not only does this cover farming machinery and equipment, but it can also cover heating and cooling systems and other equipment needed in your Ontario farm and the costs associated with farm equipment failure due to specific perils like electrical arching etc.
Commercial Vehicle Insurance / Motorcycle Insurance
This type of coverage is required in Ontario for motorcycle, trucks and transportation and recreational vehicles used on public roadways in the course of your Ontario farm’s agribusiness functions.
ALIGNED, Comprehensive Farm Insurance in Ontario Brokered by Commercial Insurance Experts
Having an insurance broker who is also a commercial insurance expert is having an advocate who specializes in risk management for businesses and who works with Canada’s top insurers fighting to get your Ontario farm fully protected at competitive rates. Contact an advocate or use our online tool to get a free quote on Ontario farm insurance coverage in minutes.
FAQs– What insurance do farmers need?
Farming can be physically and financially risky. Generally speaking, farmers need to protect themselves from the various sources of potential legal liability and loss.
What that means in practical terms is that farmers should protect themselves from financial hardships by purchasing farm insurance that protects their:
- Homes and other buildings and structures on their farms and the contents inside them as well as farming tools, equipment and vehicles from perils like floods, fires, windstorms, theft, vandalism and other natural and man-made disasters.
- Liability exposures for personal injury or property damage claims related to their farming operations and/or products.
- Loss of livestock, crops, dairy and eggs due to illness, contamination and/or viruses.
- Equipment breakdown from things like power surges and electrical arcing
- Loss of income from any of the above situations
How much does farm insurance cost?
How much farm insurance costs will depend on a number of factors that include things like:
- The type of farming you do
- The type of equipment you own and use
- The number of people working and living on your farm
- The number, types and construction of the buildings on your property
- The value of the buildings, equipment, tools, livestock, crops etc., on your farm
- Location of your farm
- Distance from municipal services like water and the local fire department
- Number of years you’ve been farming/experience
- Insurance history including the number of years you’ve been insured and the type and number of insurance claims you’ve had
The above list does not include all of the factors that are taken into consideration when an insurance carrier calculates how much your insurance premiums will cost.
Do I need insurance on my tractor?
You do not insurance for your tractor to operate it on your farm however, the rules get a little more complicated and can change if/when you decide to drive your tractor on public roads. Generally speaking, your tractor should be included in your farm insurance policy to protect you from liability and loss or damage. Contact an ALIGNED advocate for accurate and up-to-date information on insurance requirements for tractors being driven on public roads.
What is incidental farming coverage?
Incidental farming basically means that the farming done on your property is incidental to the property’s primary use. For example, you own a home and on your property you’re involved in small-scale farming activities, you don’t employ anybody, your activities generate a very limited amount of revenue and any livestock you raise is for personal use or consumption.
A typical homeowner’s insurance policy will not generally cover your incidental farming property or activities, however, incidental farming coverage can.
