The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
(FCIC) Program for Nurseries:

First and foremost the new crop policy for Nurseries includes field grown wholesale nursery plants along with wholesale plants grown in 1/10th of a gallon or larger containers. That is big news for thousands of field growing operations in all states except Alaska.

Growers can choose from a number of plans offering different deductibles, reimbursement levels and endorsement options:

You might be comfortable with the basic catastrophic ("CAT") policy which is virtually subsidized in full by the FCIC and costs the grower only $100.00 per growing county for an administration sign-up fee.

But, if you prefer a better plan, the FCIC has made it possible for you to buy down the deductible to as low as 25% and raise your percentage of reimbursement on your covered plants to as much as 100%.

Banks more freely lend money on insured crops than uninsured crops. It's worth checking into for sure, but all policy buy up plans over and above the "CAT" policy will cost some premium dollars.

There are several plan levels from which to choose. The smart grower signs up for "CAT" first and then prices out the other plan deductibles, options and reimbursement price levels.

Some key provision of the Nursery Crop Policy include, but are not limited to, the following examples; (This is a sampling of a few of the policy provisions only.)

1. Offer the Program to In Ground Field Growers and cover their eligible plant inventory on a fair and equitable basis for the same causes of loss as afforded container growers.
2. Include plants grown in Grow Bags and Pot in Pot systems.
3. Open up the eligible plant list and cover more plants commonly grown in your respective hardiness zone or region.
4. Introduce a new system whereby the FCIC uses average pricing of wholesale plants from around the country so that they might pay claims more uniformly to all growers. (More on this subject at a future date.)
5. Eliminate senseless, repetitive inventory report forms and unnecessary filings that have no purpose in serving our Industry. This is a tremendous relief in itself and has been a serious objection by many growers in the past.
6. Allow growers to select one limit for all qualifying container plants and a separate limit for all qualifying field grown stock. Not available on "CAT" policies where one common limit applies. (A penalty could be applied to a claim if covered inventory is found to be under reported.)
7. Open up coverage to include crabapple,fruit and nut bearing trees as long as you are marketing for trees and not the produce from the trees.
8. Insurable nursery plants may be grouped according to categories commonly recognized in the Nursery Industry and insured as optional units as follows:
   
   

   (not available on Basic "CAT" policies)
   Deciduous Trees Broadleaf Evergreen Trees Coniferous Evergreen Trees Fruit and Nut Trees Deciduous Shrubs	Coniferous Evergreen Shurbs Small Fruits Herbaceous Perennials Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs Ground Cover and Vines	Annuals Foilage Roses

9. Allow growers to increase their policy limits during "peak" inventories therby lowering a grower's premium during normal inventory periods (not available on "CAT" policies).
10. Cover losses to frost, freeze or cold if growers follow required protection practices stated in the Eligible Plant Listing. Growers whose insurable plants do not have the required cold protection receive coverage from all covered perils except cold damage without the need for a special endosement.
11. The definition of nursery is revised to require at least 50% of gross revenues coming from the wholesale sale of plants in lieu of 100% as in the past. Thus allowing more growers to participate.

What is Covered?

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The causes of loss are the same for all qualifying plant inventories as follows;

• Adverse Weather Conditions; (which is interpreted to mean just about anything unavoidable that Mother Nature might throw at your covered crops including such things as hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, heavy winds, drought, excess rain, floods or mud slides, typhoons, earthquakes volcanic eruptions and wildlife damage to name a few);
• Fire is also covered unless your weed control measures were less than acceptable;
• Insects, but only if no effective control measure exits;
• Plant Disease, but only if no effective control measure exists;
• Frost/Freeze under certain conditions outlined in the policy and;
• Failure of the irrigation water supply due to an insured cause of loss occurring during the insurance period.

These are real causes of loss and offer good solid protection to all who qualify.

What is not covered?

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Some exclusions will apply as follows;

• Negligence, mismangement or wrong doing by you, any member of your family or household, your tenant or employees;
• Your failure to follow recognized growing practices for the insured crop;
• Water contained by any governmental, public or private dam or reservoir project;
• Failure or breakdown of irrigation equipment or facilities;
• Or failure to carry out a good irrigation practice for the insured crop if applicable or;
• Brownout or failure of the power supply unless such failure is due to an insured cause of loss;
• The inability to market your insured plants as a direct result of a quarantine, boycott or refusal of a buyer to accept production;
• Fire, where weeds were not controlled on your property or;
• Collapse or falling of building or structures unless caused by an insured cause of loss.

All in all the officials at the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation have done their level best to bring you something special. They worked hard and did their homework. It's not perfect, but it works and will only get better over time. They want all nurseries that qualify to participate so that the program can grow, stay strong and be able to serve you for many years to come.

Every grower owes it to themselves to check it out. It's the best thing to come out of the Federal Government on behalf of the Green Industry in a long, long time.