PSA: Apply now for USDA Crop Insurance for Kelp Farmers!
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Hi Farmers,
A quick PSA that this is the first year that kelp has been eligible for the USDA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). This program will insure crop loss due to natural disasters. The way it works is you enroll at the beginning of the season (now,) and if you experience more than 50% crop loss due to a natural disaster, USDA will pay you 55% of the “value of the crop” that you lost. In the case of aquaculture, natural disasters can include many things such as: low salinity due to excessive rainfall/snowmelt, wind damage, wave damage, etc. If you have been farming for fewer than 10 years, you qualify as a “beginning farmer” and the program is free. Farms that are woman- or Native-owned, (50% or more,) qualify as socially disadvantaged, and enrollment is always free.
The application deadline for this program was September 30, 2024, but they have a 30-day grace period where you can still apply! You will need to provide a reason why you didn’t meet the original application deadline. The reason “I just learned that kelp (seaweed) was covered under this program” should be acceptable. If you’d like to apply, the first step is to contact your local USDA service center and indicate your intent to apply. You can find your local center using this link, just enter your state and county. Once your farm is registered with USDA you will need to complete an acreage report and a NAP application. The local agent at the service center will walk you through all of this paperwork and the reporting required.
Is it worth the hassle? Up for you to decide. We have created this calculator to show the payouts in a variety of situations based on how much kelp you plan on outplanting this year. The Farm Service Agency set the national “value of kelp” at $0.67 per lb wet weight. This means, for example, if you outplanted 10,000 ft of kelp, and you lost 75% of your crop to storm damage, you could get a payout of over $2,000 at no cost. (Note that the majority of farmers choose the basic CAT Coverage as the Buy Up Coverages options can get expensive.)
Let us know if you have any questions!
@david_bailey and Lindsay
@lindsay_olsen This is a long time coming! So glad to see this opportunity is now available to kelp farmers!