Optimum

Exclusive technology used to make confident and informed crop insurance decisions.

Insurance is all about the odds.

From a buyer’s standpoint, you want to spend your insurance dollars on some combination of threats that have high odds of happening and those with odds of having a big impact on your business if they happen.

Until now, most farmers’ decisions around crop insurance were based on a “gut feeling” or weather events that stuck in their minds. Now, with Optimum, events have been quantified and through a robust simulation process, producers can see how today’s insurance choices perform.

OPTIMUM: SOLVING FOR YOUR GOALS

Every farm is different and farmers’ goals are different. We can ask our proprietary Optimum tool to analyze federal and private insurance policies to find the best choice whatever your risk management goal. For instance:

  • Highest net indemnity over time.
  • Best cash flow over time.
  • The most bushels to forward market.
  • The most subsidy dollars.

OPTIMUM: REVIEWING YOUR OPTIONS

Green indicates profit for that yield and price level; red indicates losses per acre. The darker the color, the more likely that outcome is.

 

Behind the calculations are thousands of data points for commodity prices, yields, volatility, etc. Customer data are used to generate customized solutions; county data are used for demonstration purposes.

For instance, we worked with one farmer and found that by changing his coverage and plans, he was able to quickly see a colored matrix showing the decision would remove all the likely yield/price combinations that would result in red ink for his operation at a very modest added cost.

Insight into the impacts of crop management decisions are a bonus. One South Dakota farmer, for example, looked at the chart of his yields vs. the county yield and immediately remarked he could see the result of each of the cropping improvements he had made during the past 10 years, validating those changes were effective in increasing his yields.

"The crop insurance team explains all the different options and products, which helps us make a good decision for our operation."

Michael and Katie

Grain and Livestock Producers, Iowa

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Michael and Katie

Crop Insurance Resources

Key Crop Insurance Dates

July 1, 2024

Premium Billing Date

Winter Wheat

July 15, 2024

Acreage Report Deadline

Corn, Soybeans, & Spring Wheat

August 15, 2024

Premium Billing Date

Corn, Soybeans, Spring Wheat, &
Winter Wheat & Spring Wheat on Same Policy – NE, SD 

August 20, 2024

Harvest Price Announced

Winter Wheat

VIEW ALL DATES

Policyholder Responsibilities

Corn & Soybean Moisture Adjustment Factors

Crop Price History & Calculation Periods

Crop Insurance Abbreviations

Crop Insurance Podcasts

Trigger Yield Calculator

Trigger yields assist producers with crop insurance and risk management decisions. Understanding what will trigger loss payments is an important part of choosing the correct level of crop insurance coverage.

The results provided by this tool are for estimation purposes only; actual loss triggers may vary. Contact your Farm Credit Services of America insurance officer for more information.

Ready to Talk?

Contact us if you have questions or need more information. Fill out the form, or connect with your local office using the Office Locator.

FCSAmerica serves farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and rural residents in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. For inquiries outside this geography, use the Farm Credit Association Locator  to contact your local office.