Agritourism activities such as corn mazes, hay rides, festivals, berry picking and farm tours are popular additions to farm businesses. When hosting these activities, it’s important to remember that some are not automatically covered under a farmowner insurance policy.

Farmowner policies provides liability coverage for the production of crops, the raising or care of livestock and the operation of roadside stands or famers’ markets that primarily sell the farmer’s own unprocessed products. It is extremely important that policyholders engaged in agritourism activities make their agent and insurance company aware of everything they are involved in to be certain that proper coverage is in place.

Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. can accommodate a variety of agritourism activities under the farmowner policy. In most cases, the policy can be endorsed for an additional premium to provide the necessary coverage, or a separate policy may need to be written.

Farm Bureau has resources available to assist policyholders by designing insurance programs tailored to their agritourism operations and can also offer advice to create a safe experience for participants.

Agritourism liability sign can offer protection

Virginia’s Agritourism Liability Statute provides agritourism professionals with limited liability protection for their operations. If the sign detailing the specifics of the statute is displayed on property where agritourism activities are taking place, the professional cannot be held liable for injury, loss, damage or death to a participant in an agritourism activity resulting from the inherent risks of the activity.

The sign, however, is not a substitute for proper liability insurance coverage. Protection provided by the statute does not apply if the professional does one or more of the following:

• commits an act or omission that constitutes negligence or a willful disregard for the safety of the participant and that act or omission causes injury, damage or death to the participant;
• has knowledge or reasonably should have known of a dangerous condition on the land, in the facilities, or with the equipment or animals used in an activity and does not make that danger known to the participant and that danger causes injury, damage or death to the participant; or
• intentionally injures the participant.
For more information, contact your Farm Bureau insurance agent