Planning for planting: Federal crop insurance sign-up deadline approaching

A farmer’s work is never done. Even in winter, farmers are planning for the next planting season. For many operations, planning ahead includes signing up for federal crop insurance.

The deadline to sign up for most types of coverage is March 15. As weather events become more unpredictable and severe and market fluctuations continue, federally-backed crop insurance is an essential risk management tool for many farmers.

A wide range of coverage is available for agriculture operations. Newer programs, such as Whole Farm Revenue Protection and its subprogram Micro Farm, serve small- to medium-size...