Orchard & Fruit Grower Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages an orchard & fruit grower business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for tree-fruit and tree-nut growers, including packing, hulling, and u-pick. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual crops and operations.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Liability | Covers injuries and damage to others from orchard work, visitors, and equipment. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation / Employer's Liability | Covers pickers and crews — ladder falls are the leading injury. | Core | |
| Farm Property / Equipment | Covers packing sheds, dryers, cold storage, tractors, and shakers. | Core | |
| Federal Crop Insurance | Covers yield and quality losses from frost, hail, and other perils. | Core | |
| Products Liability / Product Recall | Covers illness claims and recall costs if fresh fruit or nuts are contaminated. | Prevalent | |
| Pesticide Drift / Herbicide Liability | Covers harm to neighbors and their crews from spraying. | Prevalent | |
| Farm Auto | Covers trucks and bin trailers on public roads. | Prevalent | |
| Spoilage / Cold Storage | Covers stored fruit lost to refrigeration failure or power outage. | Situational | |
| Agritourism / U-Pick Liability | Covers the public picking fruit in the orchard. | Situational | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits above farm liability and auto. | Prevalent |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap most often missed by orchard growers is what happens once fruit leaves the tree. Farm liability is written around the land, but packing, washing, and selling fresh fruit or nuts creates product and recall exposure that may be excluded or sublimited. On the labor side, ladder falls put 43 Washington orchard workers in the hospital in five years. Confirm products and recall coverage if you pack or sell direct, and keep crews and contractors on workers' comp.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your orchard & fruit grower coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Orchard & Fruit Grower Insurance · Orchard & Fruit Grower Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does an orchard & fruit grower business need?
The core coverages for an orchard & fruit grower business are Farm Liability, Workers' Compensation / Employer's Liability, Farm Property / Equipment, Federal Crop Insurance. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my orchard & fruit grower coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.