Revisiting risk management decisions for 2026

By Ty Higgins and Brianna Smith

As Ohio farmers turn the calendar toward a new growing season, many are also reflecting on a year that tested even the best-laid plans.

Lindsey Schwinn, insurance officer with Farm Credit Mid-America, had many discussions with farmers over the past year about risk.

“2025 brought a lot of weather unpredictability for a lot of the state, especially in this north central Ohio region,” Schwinn said. “Plans maybe weren’t able to be carried out like they were imagined due to the weather. When Mother Nature’s in control, we just roll with her.”

That unpredictability underscored the importance of having a strong relationship with a crop insurance provider. According to Schwinn, those conversations often went beyond weather losses and centered on overall financial stability.

“A lot of people really looked at their risk management tool as more of a financial stability tool,” she said. “Input costs continue to rise. Margins are tight, and there’s not a lot of room for error.”

As farmers consider options for 2026 crop insurance, Schwinn reiterated that no two operations are the same, so crop insurance shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all purchase.

“At Farm Credit, we really try to understand our customer, their operation, and how they make decisions,” she said. “I think it’s really important for a customer to know where their risk is and what their cost of production or break-even is, so then that we can better advise them to build a plan and help them carry out that plan.  Risk for everyone looks a little different depending on maybe the age of their farm or where they farm, so I think it’s really important for the producers to know where their risk is.”

With the March 15 deadline to purchase crop insurance approaching, now is the time for farmers to contact their insurance agents. Schwinn encourages farmers to have those conversations now, rather than wait.

“Truth be told, March isn’t the best time to make those decisions,” she said. “Right now, you have time to think strategically about the year.  You most likely already have your planting intentions set, and you’ve already purchased a lot of your seed and input costs, so you probably could get pretty close to your break-even. So now is a good time to build a plan based around those input costs.”

Those winter conversations also include ongoing questions surrounding government policy and how potential changes could affect crop insurance moving forward. Schwinn said policy discussions were a common theme throughout the past year, often lingering in the background as farmers evaluated their risk management options.

“I feel like for 2026, maybe more than ever, government policy has a lot of people talking, especially with the administration passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer,” Schwinn said. “That brought a lot of changes to our crop insurance world, simplified rules, provided more access to producers and young and beginning farmers, and included a lot of changes to subsidies, too. So, it’s just that this year is very important when making crop insurance decisions, you understand the changes, the products out there, and just what you’re buying.”

Schwinn said that knowledge and understanding are where working with a dedicated crop insurance team can make a difference. At Farm Credit Mid-America, crop insurance is the sole focus of the team she works with, allowing them to stay current on policy updates, program changes, and evolving risk management tools.

“Keeping up with crop insurance and government policy is a full-time job in itself,” Schwinn said. “That’s what my team is here to do.”

She added that Farm Credit’s cooperative structure also sets it apart. As a cooperative, farmer customers are owners, and profits are reinvested back into the membership.

“Our customers are our owners, and our goal is to do what’s best for them,” Schwinn said. “If our customers are successful, then we’re successful.”

That shared interest, paired with the staff’s firsthand farming experience, helps guide conversations beyond policy details.

“A lot of us also farm,” she said. “We understand the conversations farmers are having and the decisions they’re faced with, because we’ve had to make those decisions too.”

To learn more about Farm Credit Mid-America or find your local branch, visit fcma.org.