Gail Fuller extends the temporary fence as his cattle and sheep rush for fresh pasture.
Photographer: Chase Castor/BloombergWeather & Science
US Farmers Want to Adapt to Climate Change, But Crop Insurance Won’t Let Them
Growers looking to transition to regenerative agriculture are running into a federal insurance barrier.
In Kansas, where a prolonged drought has killed crops and eroded the soil, Gail Fuller’s farm is like an oasis. Sheep, cows and chickens graze freely on crops and vegetation in a paradisiacal mess.
But if Fuller’s farm were to be hit by a tornado or flood, or be seriously impacted by the drought, he would be alone in footing the bill. That’s because his farming practices aren’t protected by federal crop insurance, a nearly century-old safety net that hasn’t adapted to the climate change era.