Agritourism insurance keeps pumpkin patch covered

By Linda DuBois

Kern County farmer Jenny Holtermann has a passion for sharing her farm with visitors. The fourth-generation farmer said she believes it’s important for the community to see what happens on farms firsthand.

While she is known mostly for growing almonds and marketing them directly to consumers under the brand Almond Girl, she also grows fruit trees and pumpkins on the homestead where she, her husband and their two children live.

The Holtermanns regularly open their property to small groups and classrooms for their annual pumpkin patch and to enjoy guided tours, tea parties, seasonal brunches beneath orchard blossoms and more.

This ties in with her farming advocacy roles. Holtermann is the immediate past president of the Kern County Farm Bureau, chairs the California Farm Bureau Rural Health and Safety Committee and serves in several other agricultural leadership capacities, continuing a long record of service that began in 2011.

While opening the farm to visitors brings unique opportunities, it also brings potential risks, she noted. That’s why the Holtermanns purchased an agritourism insurance policy from Nationwide that protects them in case of accidents.

“Anytime you’re bringing people onto your property, you’re subjecting yourself to some kind of liability, and just having that insurance there gives us peace of mind,” she said. “Our farm is very much still a working farm.” 

Even with careful planning and a focus on safety, the normal features of a farm—from low-hanging branches to irrigation lines underfoot—could quickly become hazards, she noted.

Nationwide’s agritourism insurance is designed for farms that regularly welcome visitors onto their properties. It covers roadside stands, Christmas tree lots, hayrides, petting zoos and more, and is specialized for each individual farm’s needs.

“Agritourism activities like corn mazes, pumpkin patches or farm tours can be a great way for farmers to diversify their income, but it’s important to know these operations typically aren’t covered under a standard farm or ranch policy,” said Justin Owens, Nationwide’s assistant vice president of farm underwriting and sales.

“At Nationwide, we offer tailored coverage options—from endorsements (i.e. add-ons to other farm coverage) to a separate general liability policy—to help ensure farmers are properly protected,” he added. “That way, they can focus on growing their business and connecting with their communities with confidence.”

Holtermann’s decision to purchase agritourism coverage came as her direct-to-consumer almond business began to grow and she started inviting people out to the farm.

“It was a conversation I had with our insurance carrier and our lawyers on how we could start opening up our farm and bringing people out,” she recalled. “It was suggested that this agritourism insurance would be the best option.”

The process of signing up was straightforward. Holtermann described it as a matter of filling out a couple of applications and providing some details about the events she wanted to host.

While Holtermann and her family don’t open their farm to walk-ins, they’ve found a balance that works for them—hosting small groups and school tours. 

She encourages other farmers to consider finding opportunities to connect with the public in a way that fits their comfort level, whether it’s a farmstand open to anyone dropping by or hosting scheduled small groups and events.

At the heart of it all is a desire to connect people, especially the next generation, with where their food comes from, she said.

“Where else would they have the opportunity to actually touch and feel that soil and those crops and understand how those are all connected?” she said.

For farmers considering agritourism, Holtermann offers both encouragement and practical advice: “It’s important to protect yourself, … but it’s also important to connect the average consumer with the farm experience. This is especially true for children,” she said. “I feel it is so important to teach them at a young age.”

With the right insurance coverage, farms can do both, she said.

For more information about agritourism insurance, search for “agritourism” at nationwide.com.

Linda Dubois is assistant editor of California Bountiful magazine. She can be reached at ldubois@cfbf.com. 

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