Image of a combine being operated on rented farm land.

Farm Coverage for Leaseholding Farmers

Updated June 1, 2024 . AmFam Team

Just like landowners, lease-holding farmers need to have insurance coverage for their farm personal property that’s used and stored on rented land. Because accidents happen on the farm, it’s key to know you’ve got the right coverage for your operation.

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Renters Insurance Protects Your Investment

It's not required by law but you can choose to make renters insurance a requirement by including a provision in your lease. Learn why renters insurance protects your investment.

What Land-Leasing Farmers Should Know About Insurance

As a land-leasing farmer, getting just the right coverage for your operation can be tricky. That’s because so much of your insurance needs are the product of the lease you’ve agreed to with the landowner. But even with a well-defined lease, you may still have questions for your insurance company. If your lease requires you to get a farm insurance policy of your own, there are a few things you need to understand:

A farm insurance policy protects like renters insurance when you’re renting farmland. Much like a standard renters insurance policy, you’ll have protection for everything you use to keep your business running smoothly. From office equipment to spare parts you’ve stored in a rented shed, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your investments are covered, with the addition of a personal property endorsement on your policy.

You’ll have medical expense coverage. Suppose that a volunteer on your farm is injured while working on a machine owned by your farm. With this coverage, you’ll have medical expense insurance to help pay for bodily injury accidents — and your own savings may remain protected. Note that your employees are not covered under this policy.

Stolen items can be protected. If a theft of your equipment or other items should occur — and the event qualifies as a covered loss — you may be protected up to your coverage limits.

Farmer in tractor preparing farmland with seedbed for the next year.

Liability Insurance Is Necessary for Farmers

Farm work is risky, and if you’re working for yourself as a lease-holding farmer with employees of your own, you know how easily accidents can happen. Insuring your operation with an additional farm/ranch umbrella liability policy may help you achieve your goals and protect your business above the standard liability coverage limits. Here are a few ways that farm liability umbrella insurance may help protect your enterprise:

Coverage is customizable. You’ll be able to define the terms and limits of the protection you need to keep your investments protected. Coverage is available in million-dollar increments, from $1 million to $10 million or more.

Extra protection above your existing general liability insurance. You’ll find real peace of mind knowing that you can navigate injuries and lawsuits if the unexpected should happen and you’re faced with costly liability claims.

You’ll have property damage coverage. If you accidentally damage your landlord’s buildings or structures, an in-force farm policy may help cover the loss. The same may be true for smoke and fire damage resulting from your or your guest’s negligence. Check with your landlord to ensure you're covered. It's also helpful to your insurance agent to ensure you have the coverage you need, too.

You can specify insured parties. By giving you the freedom to identify individuals for coverage in your policy, anyone named in it may be protected by our farm/ranch umbrella insurance.

Wide-angle coverage when you need it most. Our policies may help cover liabilities for physical injuries to others, damage to others’ property and situations if you’re liable for violating someone’s privacy or defaming their character.

Coverage that travels with you. Our farm/ranch umbrella policies may also cover injuries to others and damages to other property that you’ve caused, wherever you happen to be. If you’re out of state borrowing a trailer to get your cattle to auction and accidentally damage that trailer, this key coverage may help pay for those costly repairs.

Finding the right coverage doesn’t have to be complicated. You’ll only need to check in with your local American Family Insurance agent and build a plan that suits your home, business and vehicles.

This article may include information that represents a brief description of coverages, but this is not part of your policy, and is not a promise or guarantee of coverage. If there is any conflict between this information and your policy, the provisions of the policy will prevail. Insurance policy terms and conditions may apply. Exclusions may apply to policies, endorsements, or riders. Coverage may vary by state and may be subject to change. Some products are not available in every state. Please read your policy and contact your agent for assistance.

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