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Prevent hay bale fires with year-round vigilance and action


Prevent hay bale fires with year-round vigilance and action

The following information is provided by Nationwide®, the #1 farm and ranch insurer in the U.S.*

Hundreds of barn fires happen every year in the U.S. And in many of them, hay bales are the fuel source for what’s almost always a major property loss that also can endanger livestock and farm workers.

Hay bale fires can happen from the day the bales are made until they’re used, regardless of the forage type or quality. In most cases, wet hay is actually more likely to catch fire or spontaneously combust than dry hay. Hay fires are a unique, costly hazard that calls for year–round attention, according to Nationwide Risk Management Consultant, agronomist and Iowa farmer Derek Hommer.

“Hay bale fires are just one type that contributes to fire being the leading cause of farm claims and losses,” Hommer said. “That’s why it’s so important pay close attention to nearby heat sources, hay moisture and bale quality. They all contribute to how hay catches fires and potential spontaneous combustion.”

Why does wet hay catch on fire?
When harvested at a higher moisture level, a forage crop sometimes stays damp and respires well after baling. That continued respiration in the presence of oxygen after its baled creates conditions that can cause bales to spontaneously combust. Wet hay that continues to respire can generate heat and eventually spontaneously combust.

After hay is baled and stored at higher moisture levels, the fire risk from spontaneous combustion is greatest in the first two to six weeks. And that risk continues if hay bales are stored where moisture can linger, like a barn with a leaky roof or high–humidity area.

Hay placed in storage should have a moisture content under 25%, according to a report from the Pennsylvania State University Agriculture and Biological Engineering Department. Higher levels of moisture require an oxygen limiting storage system. The heat generated by the crop plus the presence of oxygen increases the risk of a fire.

Key times to think about hay bale fire prevention
Hommer recommends the following best practices throughout the growing season to minimize hay bale fire risk, especially from spontaneous combustion once bales are stored:

  • Harvesting. Harvest forage within the optimal moisture range and allow adequate drying
    time in the field before baling.
  • Conditioning. Mower conditioners, tedders and rakes can speed hay drying but can also
    harm leaf retention and crop quality.
  • Baling. Bale hay up to 20% moisture to reduce the potential for hay bales spontaneously
    combusting or spoiling.
  • Storing. Since moisture contributes to bale heating and fires, store hay under a roof to keep
    it as dry as possible. Hay probes and sensors like in the HAYTECH platform helps monitor
    temperatures in stored hay that can help prevent hay fires or spontaneously combusting
    bales.
 

Visit AgInsightCenter.com for more resources and expert tips on trending topics to help you run a successful business and maintain the safety of your operation.

*A.M. Best Market Share Report 2021.

Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2022 NationwideWhen harvested at a higher moisture level, a forage crop sometimes stays damp and res

pires well after
baling. That continued respiration in the presence of oxygen after it’s baled creates conditions that can
cause bales to spontaneously combust. Wet hay that continues to respire can generate heat and
eventually spontaneously combust.
After hay is baled and stored at higher moisture levels, the fire risk from spontaneous combustion is
greatest in the first two to six weeks. And that risk continues if hay bales are stored where moisture can
linger, like a barn with a leaky roof or high–humidity area.
Hay placed in storage should have a moisture content under 25%, according to a report from the
Pennsylvania State University Agriculture and Biological Engineering Department. Higher levels of
moisture require an oxygen limiting storage system. The heat generated by the crop plus the presence
of oxygen increases the risk of a fire.

Let’s talk about land


Let's talk about land
Because the future of your farmland matters most

The following information is provided by Nationwide®, the #1 farm and ranch insurer in the U.S.*

The farmland market is red–hot. Though such a bullish marketplace is a boon for landowners, it also changes the game for tenants who depend on rented land for a large share of their crop revenue. High prices make it even more important to make sure everyone involved has the right insurance coverage in place.

Complicating the equation for lessees is the recent rise in absentee farmland ownership. According to a USDA report**, around 40% of the land farmed in the U.S. is rented. Of that share, around 31% is owned by an absentee or non–operator, a number that continues to rise, especially as active farmers retire and sell land.

The combination of these trends creates year–over–year operational and managerial challenges for leasing farmers and their landowners. One of those is ensuring both parties are adequately managing the risk of a land lease for which the two parties may be thousands of miles apart.

Sharing insurance responsibilities
In most cases when a farmer rents land from an absentee landowner, risk management responsibilities are split between the two parties. Each lease should spell out who is responsible for different operational and management responsibilities. And what is fair is not always equal.

For example, if adding improvements like tile drainage can boost the long–term productivity of a field, installation costs should be shared based on the equity it creates. If a lessee anticipates only renting the land for one year, he or she should not bear as much cost as the landowner, who will likely see greater value in the form of higher rents over time as a result of the improvement.

But if such improvements are part of a multiyear leasing strategy in which the lessee will remain in the picture, he or she will likely pay a larger share of the cost. In general, the duration of a lease often is a major contributor to how land improvement costs are spread between the landowner and renter.

Think about how land is used
There are several factors that influence how farmland is insured. First, it’s important to consider the basics of the property and its intended purpose. Some land is obviously for cropping. But grassland or pasture land may have multiple uses. All of a piece of land’s intended
uses should be accounted for in both the written lease as well as the chosen insurance coverage.

Coverage options also vary widely based on lease land’s use. A basic homeowners policy rarely covers all of the operational risk of leased farmland. Sometimes endorsements cover those specific risks, but in other cases, altogether different policies specifically designed for farmland are the best solutions.

Especially with an absentee leases, it’s always a good idea to have regular meetings during which the lessee can update the landowner on all activities on the leased land and how they impact things like lease price and optimal insurance coverage options.

Talk with your insurance agent
No matter how you’re involved with farming – whether you’re currently farming or new to owning or renting farmland – it’s important to talk with your local Nationwide Farm Certified agent. Nationwide is the only farm insurance company that trains and certifies its agents. When you see that an agent is Nationwide On Your Side Farm Certified, you can be confident you’ve found a trusted, knowledgeable advisor.

Visit AgInsightCenter.com/farmlandownership to download our free Farmland Ownership Protection Guide and to learn what we know about farmland.

*A.M. Best Market Share Report 2021.
Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2022 Nationwide

Maryland Farm Bureau Hosts Legislative Day

maryland farm bureau hosts legislative day
Annual Day in Annapolis Brings Farmers, Legislators Together

DAVIDSONVILLE, MD. (February 10, 2022) — Maryland Farm Bureau (MDFB) hosted its annual Day in Annapolis yesterday to give its members the opportunity to stay up-to-date on legislation affecting farming and rural communities and to visit with their legislators. The format, virtual due to the Maryland Capitol’s pandemic closure, allowed for nearly 50 legislators and 120 farmers to interact, with an issues briefing, questions, and break-out sessions.

“We know how important these bills are — especially their implications for Maryland’s farming community. Thank you to all of the legislators and staff for taking the time to learn how these issues affect our ability to grow and raise food, fiber, and renewable fuel, as well,” said Wayne Stafford, MDFB president.

Proposed legislation that MDFB is currently following are bills moving pesticide regulation from Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE); deer and wildlife damage to crops and privately owned farmland; permitting and air quality regulations; and the right to repair farm equipment.

“The right-to-repair bill helps to ensure that all sizes of farms can continue to operate to meet time-sensitive needs of crops, and aren’t dependent on huge companies,” said Delegate Lorig Charkoudian. “I know large equipment companies are fighting this, so we should look out for the small family farmer. I’m 100% with Maryland Farm Bureau on this and happy to continue to move that forward.”

MDFB’s list of priority bills include the following, which it supports:

  • SB 296/HB 558: Establishes a definition for “agritourism” with regards to land use. It adds camping and incidental outdoor stays to the state’s definition of agritourism.
  • HB 562: Requires farm equipment manufacturers to provide farmers the capability and tools needed to repair their own modern farm equipment, so that they are not dependent on over-committed technical service providers during the busiest times of the year for farming.
  • Various bills establishing funds to help urban agriculture, such as HB 855 with water and power infrastructure.
  • SB 800: Sales and use tax exemption for agricultural electricity.
  • Various bills allowing the management of deer/wildlife on private and state-owned property to reduce widespread destruction of crops, such as SB 497/HB 592, and in Baltimore County SB 427/HB 682.
  • SB 582: Provides that if a landowner directly invites or permits an individual to use their property for hunting, the invited individual assumes all responsibility and liability for their own safety.

 

A number of bills introduced during this session would make farming more difficult in Maryland.

“Several of these bills would cause undue burden and hardship on Maryland farmers while costs related to operating a farm today continue to rise,” said Colby Ferguson, MDFB director of government and public relations. “Some of these bills ignore decades of conservation management efforts and best management practices farmers have put in place to protect air and water quality and soil health. Farmers build a livelihood for themselves and their families right next to or on the same land in which they grow crops and raise livestock; being good stewards of the environment is always in their best interest.”

Maryland Farm Bureau opposes the following bills:

  • HB 11: Excludes many energy sources derived from agricultural production from the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard.
  • SB 268/HB 387: Would move pesticide regulation from MDA to MDE.
  • HB 596: Grants Marylanders standing to intervene on any state application process if they believe another’s action or permit interferes with any of their rights to a clean environment.
  • HB 798: Would create a new government bureaucracy to enact costly air quality requirements for farms above and beyond existing environmental quality standards.
  • HB 496: Establishes the requirement of all employers of all sizes (including self-employed) to pay into a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program.

“If we don’t use ag sources such as biomass and thermal energy as renewable energy sources, then all of that waste has to go somewhere not beneficial and is a nuisance,” said Senator Stephen Hershey, on HB 11. “It’s important to continue educating all of our colleagues on how various renewable energy is actually produced and utilized as opposed to negative assumptions based on not understanding.”

Bob Cissel, a Montgomery County farmer, addressed the deer damage and wildlife management bills. “Our deer damage problems in Maryland are like if you had a store and in the mornings you woke up and 9% of your inventory was gone,” he said.

# # #

MARYLAND FARM BUREAU®, INC. is a 501(c)(5) federation that services as the united voice of Maryland farm families. Our organizational strength comes from the active participation of over 10,000 individual and family members who belong to the state’s 23 local county Farm Bureau organizations. Since 1915, Maryland Farm Bureau has been committed to protecting and growing agriculture and preserving rural life. Maryland Farm Bureau® is a proud member of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Learn more at MDFarmBureau.com.  

Media Contact:
Amber Pearson | Maryland Farm Bureau, Inc. (TSN Communications)
573.268.6853 | amber@tsncommunications.com

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