Because agriculture is inherently unpredictable, it is important to take preventative measures to mitigate some of the damage farmers face when crops fail. That’s where crop insurance comes in. Crop insurance helps to stabilize farmers’ incomes by protecting them against losses, minimizing debts and protecting crop yields.

A food desert is an often-impoverished area that does not have access to affordable healthy food options. According to USDA, “a food desert consists of a low-income census tract residing at least 0.5 miles (0.80 km) in urban areas (10 miles (16 km) in rural areas ) or 1 mile (1.6 km) away in urban areas (20 miles in rural areas) from a large grocery store.” It is estimated that about 23.5 Americans live in food deserts.

No. In fact, family farms make up the majority of farms in the US, both large and small. According to USDA, 93% of farms grossing over $1 million a year are family-owned.

There are many different ways to farm. These farming systems tend to arise out of necessity born from the farming environment, such as water, land, grazing areas, climate, etc. Here are some of the most popular farming systems:

Arable Farming. With arable farming, the farmer plants only crops like vegetables, grains, or legumes. If you are a “do it yourself” (DIY) at-home farmer, chances are you practice arable farming.

Mixed Farming. Mixed farming mixes the planting of crops with the raising of animals on the same piece of land. Most traditional farms practice mixed farming.

Subsistence Farming. Subsistence farming is done to provide food for the farmer and his family. Subsistence farming is generally DIY and produces low yields.

Shifting Cultivation. One of the most controversial farming systems, shifting cultivation occurs when a farmer clears a piece of land, uses it for 3-5 years, then abandons it when it has been used up. Many governments discourage this type of farming as it is not very sustainable.

Plantation Farming. One of the oldest farming systems. Plantation farming uses a large piece of land to grow one specific crop, like cotton or tea. Plantation farming is also sometimes referred to as tree crop farming.

Livestock Farming. Similar to arable farming, livestock farming focuses solely on raising animals, not planting crops. This is another farming system that is not very sustainable because the animals’ grazing eventually destroys the land.

Nomadic Farming. Similar to livestock farming. In nomadic farming, the farmer moves his or her animals around in search of fresh grazing and water.

Because agriculture is inherently unpredictable, it is important to take preventative measures to mitigate some of the damage farmers face when crops fail. That’s where crop insurance comes in. Crop insurance helps to stabilize farmers’ incomes by protecting them against losses, minimizing debts and protecting crop yields.

Because agriculture is inherently unpredictable, it is important to take preventative measures to mitigate some of the damage farmers face when crops fail. That’s where crop insurance comes in. Crop insurance helps to stabilize farmers’ incomes by protecting them against losses, minimizing debts and protecting crop yields.