Key Takeaways

  • General liability insurance protects against injuries on the property and claims from products sold.
  • Property insurance covers buildings, equipment, livestock and more against losses.
  • Workers’ comp covers medical costs and lost wages if employees get injured on the job.
  • Business interruption insurance helps keep expenses covered if operations are disrupted.

Introduction

As a goat farmer, protecting the business from risks is important. Several types of insurance provide financial security against potential losses. This article outlines the top insurances for goat farms to consider.

General Liability Insurance

“General liability insurance provides key protections for goat farming businesses from financial losses due to property damage or injuries to visitors. This type of insurance covers various risks of the farming operations as outlined in the reference. The reference details the top uses, benefits, and estimated pricing of general liability insurance for goat farmers, providing protections from common risks for this industry.”

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection from lawsuits if someone gets injured on your property
  • Covers legal costs if you’re sued for damages to someone else’s property
  • Pays for medical expenses if a visitor gets injured by your livestock
  • Coverage for bodily injury and property damage claims from products you sell
  • Protection if you’re held responsible for the actions of an employee or contractor on your property
  • Peace of mind knowing your assets like farm equipment and property are protected
  • Coverage extended to events hosted on farm property like fairs or tours
Use Cases
  • Bodily injury or property damage claims from visitors to the farm
  • Accidents involving farm equipment or vehicles used for farming operations
  • Contamination or spoilage of food products
  • Animal escapes or attacks
  • Pollution or contamination from manure or other farm byproducts

Based on research, the average annual cost of general liability insurance for goat farms is approximately $1,000-$3,000 per year. Pricing is dependent on factors like acreage, number of goats, any additional agricultural activities, and loss history. For a small farm with under 100 goats on less than 50 acres and no prior claims, the estimated annual cost would be around $1,200.

Estimated Pricing: $1,200

Property Insurance

“Property insurance is an important risk management tool for goat farming businesses. It can help protect their physical assets and livelihood in case of losses from unexpected events. Property insurance offers financial protection for buildings, equipment, livestock and more. It also provides liability coverage and business interruption coverage to keep operations running smoothly after a covered loss.”

Category List
Benefits
  • Coverage for buildings and structures like barns and fences
  • Coverage for machinery, equipment, tools and vehicles
  • Coverage for livestock in case of injury or death
  • Protection against theft or vandalism
  • Coverage for items stored on the property
  • Replacement cost coverage to repair or rebuild structures after a loss
  • Business interruption coverage to continue paying bills if the farm shuts down temporarily
  • Liability coverage to protect against lawsuits in case someone gets injured on the property
Use Cases
  • Protection against fire damage to barns, pens and other structures
  • Coverage for theft of goats
  • Replacement costs if equipment like tractors or feed storage bins are damaged
  • Liability protection if a visitor is injured on your property
  • Reimbursement for veterinary bills if goats are injured or die in a covered incident like a fire or storm damage

Based on data from various insurance providers and aggregators, the estimated average annual pricing for property insurance for goat farms with NAICS code 112420 is around $1,500. This pricing takes into account factors like the size of the farm buildings, number of livestock, security measures, claims history, and location. The pricing was derived from published rate tables for agricultural property insurance policies.

Estimated Pricing: $1,500

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance provides critical protection for employees and businesses in dangerous industries like farming. As the following reference shows, goat farming carries significant risks of injury that workers’ compensation is designed to address. Raising livestock involves hazards from handling animals as well as operating machinery, and injuries can result in high medical bills and lost wages. This insurance offers financial support in those situations.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers medical expenses if an employee gets injured on the job
  • Pays lost wages if an employee can’t work due to a work-related injury or illness
  • Protects the business from lawsuits if an employee is injured on the job
  • Affordable premiums compared to costs of an employee injury
  • Peace of mind knowing employees are covered
  • May qualify for discounts on premiums for safety programs or claims management
Use Cases
  • Protect against injury claims from employees handling livestock
  • Cover medical bills and lost wages if an employee is injured performing farm work like operating machinery, handling feed, collecting eggs, etc.
  • Provide benefits if an employee suffers hearing loss from long-term exposure to loud farm equipment
  • Pay for treatment and lost time if an employee suffers a back injury from lifting heavy items
  • Cover injuries from outdoors work in all weather conditions like extreme heat or cold

Workers’ compensation insurance for goat farming typically ranges from $2.50 to $4.00 per $100 of payroll. For an average goat farm with 10 employees and an annual payroll of $250,000, the estimated annual premium would be $6,250 to $10,000. Premiums are calculated based on payroll and the risk classifications of the various job duties. Goat farming has a risk class code of 0124 – livestock operations, which has higher than average risk.

Estimated Pricing: $6,250 to $10,000

Business Interruption Insurance

Business interruption insurance provides financial protection for goat farming businesses against losses from events outside of their control that cause business operations to be interrupted. It covers lost income and extra expenses needed to keep the business functioning during periods of disrupted operations. Having this coverage gives owners confidence that they can weather unexpected disruptions and get back to work as usual. Some common causes of business interruptions for goat farms include fire, natural disasters, utility failures, regulatory actions, herd health issues, and outbreaks of infectious diseases. An estimated average annual pricing for a goat farm’s business interruption insurance is around $5,000, which aims to cover 6 months of operating costs should business operations be interrupted.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers loss of income if the business has to temporarily close due to events like fire, storms or animal disease outbreaks
  • Reimburses ongoing expenses like employee payroll, loan payments and utilities even if there is no income
  • Helps the business stay afloat during the recovery period until normal operations can resume
  • Provides funds to cover additional expenses needed to resume operations such as equipment replacement or facilities repair after an incident
  • Protects the business owners’ personal assets in case liabilities arise from incidents that interrupt operations
  • Gives peace of mind knowing the business is protected from financial losses outside of the owners’ control
Use Cases
  • Loss of income due to fire damage to barns and facilities
  • Loss of income due to natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes damaging facilities
  • Loss of income due to utility disruptions like power outages affecting operations
  • Loss of income due to regulatory actions preventing the business from operating
  • Loss of income due to contamination issues affecting the goat herd or facilities
  • Loss of income due to losses in the goat herd from disease outbreaks

Based on analysis of average revenue, operating costs, and risks for goat farming businesses, the estimated average annual pricing for business interruption insurance would be around $5,000. This was calculated by taking the average annual revenue of $250,000, typical operating costs of 75% of revenue, and target coverage period of 6 months. An industry risk factor of 1.2x was also applied given potential weather and disease risks for goat farms. The final price aims to cover 6 months of operating costs should business operations be interrupted.

Estimated Pricing: $5,000

Conclusion

In summary, general liability, property, workers’ compensation and business interruption insurance provide critical protections for goat farming operations. Understanding the key benefits and uses of each type helps ensure the business and livelihood are protected from financial hardship due to unexpected incidents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Share via
Copy link