Dudley Chaffee is the owner of Chaffee Farms LLC, a 1,200 cow dairy in Barker, N.Y.

Chaffee Farms operates 3,000 acres, which includes 1,800 acres of corn and 1,200 acres alfalfa. 

Crop insurance is crucial
Dudley began using crop insurance about eight years ago. He said his business has benefited from the risk management program for about half of those years due to weather-related events, and two of those years that support was critical. 

Prevent plant option
“We’ve really benefited from the prevented planting option,” said Dudley. “Especially this past spring when it rained throughout the planting season. We at least had the peace of mind that we weren’t going to be left with no income. We had the insurance income to back us up.”

This article originally ran in Farm Credit East’s customer magazine, Financial Partner.