Smarter insurance for agriculture
Agribusiness Insurance
Large-scale agriculture carries large-scale risk. We design insurance programs for the operations that feed the nation.
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Where Poultry Is a Way of Life, We Are Its Insurance Partner
Phelan Insurance Agency has been rooted in Ohio’s heartland since 1949. Our home in Versailles is known as the “Poultry Capital of the Midwest,” and we have spent decades alongside the families, integrators, and producers who built that reputation.
Today we serve some of the largest commercial poultry operations in the country. That experience shapes how we work. We understand how a confinement operation actually runs, where it is most exposed, and what a single bad night can cost.
Commercial agribusiness is not a farm policy with a bigger limit. It is a business, and it deserves a program engineered like one.
From hatchery to distribution, we help protect each stage of the poultry supply chain.
Poultry Confinement Is Our Specialty
A modern poultry house is a precisely controlled environment. Ventilation, feed, water, climate, and power all depend on each other, and a failure in one can put an entire flock at risk within hours. We build coverage around that reality.
Broiler Operations
Grow-out houses, contract growers, and integrator-aligned operations, with coverage structured around the contract and the capital invested in the buildings and equipment.
Layer & Egg Production
High-value flocks, high-capacity facilities, and the washing, grading, packing, and distribution that follow.
Pullet & Breeder Operations
Specialized flocks and hatcheries where genetics, timing, and biosecurity drive the value of the business.
Processing & Distribution
Meat and egg handling, cold storage, and the transportation that moves product to market.
Coverage Designed Around You
Every operation is different, and so is every program we build. Core areas we evaluate include:
- Poultry Houses and Structures
Confinement buildings, equipment, and supporting structures insured to match the investment you have made.
- Equipment Breakdown
Ventilation systems, controllers, generators, feeding and watering systems, and other critical equipment, with consideration for spoilage, lost production, and business income.
- Flock & Livestock Coverage
Options to address loss of birds due to covered causes, including those tied to equipment failure or utility interruption. Terms vary by carrier and form.
- Business Income
Helps keep the business moving when a covered loss interrupts production.
- General & Product Liability
Protection for injury, property damage, and product-related exposures.
- Pollution Liability
Coverage for exposures tied to manure handling and spreading, as well as pesticide and herbicide application.
- Workers Compensation
Coverage for employees working in demanding, high-risk environments.
- Auto & Fleet
Trucks, trailers, and hauling operations moving birds, feed, eggs, and finished product.
- Employee Benefits
Group health and benefit programs that help you recruit and keep a skilled workforce.
Let's Start With a Conversation
Every agribusiness has a different risk picture. A quick conversation is the fastest way to find out where we can help create real value for yours.
Schedule a discovery call with our team, by phone, virtual meeting, or an on-site visit, whichever works best around the demands of your operation. Most producers find 20-30 minutes is enough to know whether it’s worth pursuing further.
There’s no cost, no commitment, and no pressure either way.
Risks That Keep Producers Up at Night
We help you plan for the scenarios that can upend your business, so your program is ready before you need it.
Power and Ventilation Failure
Heat, loss of power, or equipment malfunction can affect a house full of birds quickly. We examine backup power, alarms, and the policy language that determines how these losses are treated.
Disease and Biosecurity Events
Outbreaks can bring quarantine, depopulation, and extended downtime. We help you understand what is and is not covered, and how coverage fits alongside government indemnity programs.
Weather and Catastrophe
Wind, hail, snow load, and storm damage to long, open-span structures require careful valuation and the right deductible structure.
Environmental Exposure
Manure management and nutrient application carry regulatory and liability considerations that standard policies may not address.
Contract and Integrator Requirements
Grower contracts and lender agreements often carry specific insurance requirements. We review them so your program meets them without paying for coverage you do not need.
Underinsurance
Replacement costs for confinement buildings and equipment have changed significantly. We review values so that a loss does not become a financial shortfall.
Agribusiness Across the Supply Chain
Agriculture does not stop at the farm gate. We help protect the mills, suppliers, haulers, and confinement operations that keep the food supply moving, with programs engineered for the property, liability, fleet, and workforce exposures unique to each link in the chain.
Grain & Feed Mills
Storage, handling, and manufacturing operations face fire, explosion, equipment breakdown, and transportation exposures that call for specialized underwriting.
Ag Service & Supply
Custom applicators, dealers, haulers, and service providers need protection for completed operations, pollution, inventory, and fleet exposures.
Confinement Ops
Hog and dairy operations share many of the same environmental, equipment, and concerns. Our approach carries over, adjusted to the species and the facility.
FAQ
How is agribusiness insurance different from a standard farm policy?
A farm policy is designed around a family operation, and it often resembles a homeowners policy with farm add-ons. Agribusiness insurance is built for commercial enterprises. It addresses larger property values, specialized equipment, employees, contracts, fleets, and the loss of income when production stops. If your operation is run as a business with significant capital at stake, it deserves a program structured as one.
What types of poultry operations does Phelan insure?
We work with broiler grow-out and contract growers, layer and egg production facilities, pullet and breeder operations, hatcheries, and the processing and distribution businesses that move meat and eggs to market. Our roots in Ohio’s poultry country go back to 1949, and we serve some of the largest commercial poultry operations in the country.
Is the flock covered if a ventilation or power failure occurs?
It depends on the policy. Some programs can address loss of birds tied to equipment breakdown or utility interruption, while many standard forms exclude or limit it. The details of the trigger, the covered cause of loss, and any conditions such as alarms or backup power matter greatly. We review these provisions with you before a loss, not after one.
What does equipment breakdown coverage include for a poultry house?
Equipment breakdown coverage can respond to the sudden failure of critical systems such as ventilation, controllers, feeding and watering equipment, and generators. Depending on the form, it may also address spoilage, lost production, and business income. Because these systems keep the birds alive and the operation running, we treat this coverage as essential rather than optional.
How does insurance work alongside government programs in a disease outbreak?
Government indemnity programs may compensate for certain losses connected to a disease event, but they do not always address every cost, such as extended downtime, cleaning and disinfection, or lost income. Private coverage may fill some of those gaps, depending on the policy. Our advisors can explain where public programs end and where your insurance program begins.
My grower contract or lender requires specific insurance. Can you help?
Yes. Integrator agreements and lender requirements often specify coverage types, limits, and certificate wording. We review the documents, build a program that satisfies them, and make sure you are not paying for duplicate or unnecessary coverage.
Do you cover feed mills or ag service companies?
Yes. We serve grain and feed mills, ag service and supply businesses, custom applicators, haulers, and other confinement operations such as hog and dairy. These businesses share many of the same needs around property, liability, equipment, fleet, and workers compensation, tailored to each industry’s specific exposures.
Agribusiness Resources
We’re here to offer guidance to help you navigate through complicated choices when it comes to your insurance – and more.
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