Located in the southeastern corner of Idaho and situated in a high desert environment more than 5,000 feet above sea level, the town of Rockland can be a difficult location to farm. Extreme weather has the potential to quickly devastate crops.

Fifth generation Idaho farmer Jamie Kress understands these challenges and that’s why Jamie and her husband, Cordell, purchase crop insurance to help mitigate weather and markets risks on their family farm.

Jamie recently penned an op-ed for her local paper sharing her first-hand experiences with crop insurance.

“It’s really frustrating when all of your blood, sweat and tears is out there on the line and Mother Nature is calling the shots at that point,” she wrote.

“Crop insurance is one of those things that lets you sleep a little bit better at night because it protects you from the risks of Mother Nature. It means if you have a crop failure, or you have a yield that is not what it could have been, you won’t be out of business.”

Jamie went to school for accounting and Cordell is an engineer. Their backgrounds help them make data-driven decisions about what works best for their farming operation. That’s why Jamie and Cordell trust crop insurance.

“The protection crop insurance products offer today help farmers manage weather risks, and the markets, so they can stay in business and grow the essential food, fiber and fuel products that are critical to our nation’s safety and security,” Jamie explained.

“Crop insurance is extremely popular with farmers because it is very reliable,” she added.

Jamie has worked to share her family’s farming story with Congress.

“I’ve spent some time in Washington talking to our lawmakers about farming. I always try to help them understand that farming is not just a job – it’s a passion, it’s a lifestyle,” she writes. “For farm families, it is our world.”

And with so much on the line – including our nation’s food supply – Jamie is asking Congress to continue its robust support of the Federal crop insurance program.

“We are grateful that Congress maintained our strong system of crop insurance in the 2018 Farm Bill. As the new leaders take office in Washington, we hope they will keep crop insurance affordable and widely available.”

Crop insurance plays an indispensable role in supporting America’s farmers and ranchers as they invest in sustainable agriculture and grow the food and fiber products we all depend on. Congress must continue to protect crop insurance so that farmers and ranchers have the tools they need to succeed.