Just wondering?

[cowman]

If a person lived in a very dry area would it make sense to plant a crop using the barest of ingredients? Use no fertilizer, no wild oat control,no tillage, a minimum of seed(perhaps whatever was laying around)? Take out the maximum crop insurance? Could the farmer make a buck at this?

[dalek]

I think crop insurance adjustors take a very dim view of approving a claim if you can't show you made a serious attempt to grow a crop. There was a guy here who tried that last year but when he couldn't show that he had done anything to control weeds or fertilize he ended up getting nothing from either the elevator OR crop insurance.

[surespendalot]

And so he shouldn't get anything!! People like that just make it tougher for the rest of us as it will eventually raise our premiums. I can't believe that Cowman would even think like that. I thought that he was a better person than that!!!! He is starting to sound like a crooked banker!! He must just have had a bad day yesterday. If he wants to go with miminal inputs that is one thing, but to plan on mining the insurance company is another thing altogether!

[cowman]

Now, now surespendalot, I don't grow any crops so don't get me painted black just yet! And I live in a sure crop area that has never failed. I was just wondering if there was anyone who had ever considered this? I guess no one is going to own up to it now!

[carebear300]

I admit thinking of it but only fleetingly just against my grain to plant a crop and not try and take care of it properly. I guess I am old fashioned but before I would ever stoop that low I would quit. Also the reason I likely will never be well off am way to honest!!!!!!!

[dalek]

Cowman, there are basically two ways it could turn out: 1) your yield is much lower than your neighbouring farmers who put the inputs in and the crop insurance adjustor will want to know why the difference, thus he'll want to see receipts for the inputs you put on and if you can't show them you're out of luck
2) there's a weather disaster and your neighbours come out in the same shape you're in, in which case they aren't going to like paying for your scam (not meaning you personally cowman) and they'll turn you in rather than seeing their past premiums going in your pocket

Had one guy in this area last year who bought the inputs so he'd have the receipts then sold them to his neighbours but word got out (funny how it'll do that) and he got nothing. Another one insured 1100 acres of corn at the deadline but when they checked at the end of the year they found even though he'd claimed the full 1100, he only cropped 400. He got nothing and won't be insured again.

[cowman]

Thanks for the info. As you can see I am pretty ignorant on this subject. On the crop land I rent to my cousin, on a crop share basis, I told him if he wants crop insurance it is up to him. He takes out some hail insurance but he pays the premium and will get all the payment if he ever gets hail. I also let him have any govt. program money. Works good for both of us. He's happy with the protection and I avoid a bunch of government paperwork. And if he gets a few extra bucks...well thats good cause he has a young family.
Even when I did farm some grain(many, many years ago) I never took out any crop insurance. My Dad figured it was nothing but a rip off and we farmed with our own money.

[surespendalot]

I agree with you on the crop insurance rip-off thoughts, but I do use hail insurance. Just about the first year that I was on my own (and didn't have a cent to my name)I got hailed out 100% without insurance and I have never forgotten how much it hurt.