2024 Recent Report

Farms of all types, stripes, and sizes are susceptible to a deluge of risks that put their viability in jeopardy every day. These risks are often out of the control of many farmers: market fluctuations, disease and pest issues, natural disasters, and more. This is why the federal government offers crop insurance programs to farmers, to help mitigate these risks and smooth out these financial fluctuations from year to year. Small Texas farmers are particularly susceptible to risks outside of their control. Since 1983, Texas has experienced 149 natural disasters, with 111 of those occurring in the past 20 years. This is more than any other state in the US. Without viable crop insurance options, the risk to these small farm operations will likely only increase in the coming years as weather becomes increasingly erratic. This report – commissioned by Sustainable Food Center (SFC) and prepared by Kitchen Table Consultants (KTC) – set out to document one case study that can help illustrate the need for crop insurance for smaller, diversified farms in Texas.