“This Much is Certain: For Farmers, Crop Insurance is Essential,” an op-ed in the Des Moines Register by Craig Hill, president of Iowa Farm Bureau, makes the case that there is no substitute for the risk protection that crop insurance provides in years when Mother Nature is farmers’ enemy.  

Hill explains that crop insurance allows farmers to pay a premium to alleviate to some degree some of the uncertainties of farming. He also points out that crop insurance, no matter what type, is far from a handout – despite what naysayers of the program claim.  

“The safety net that crop insurance provides is essential and is more important now than ever before,” Hill wrote, referring to the fact that the farm economy has seen better days, with farm income projected to decrease again.