PRF: Haying and Grazing

When rain doesn't come: How Pasture Rainfall Insurance Can Protect Indiana and Ohio Livestock Producers from Rising Feed Costs

 A dry stretch can turn a manageable grazing season into an expensive feed-buying season. Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance uses a rainfall index to help Indiana and Ohio livestock producers manage the financial impact of below-normal precipitation during the periods that matter most to their forage production. It is not a guarantee of individual pasture performance, but it can provide meaningful protection when rainfall patterns create pressure on hay supplies, grazing capacity, and feed budgets.

For cattle and other livestock operations, feed is often one of the largest and least predictable operating costs. When pasture growth slows or hay yields disappoint, producers may have to purchase supplemental feed earlier than planned, haul water, lease additional ground, or reduce herd numbers. Those decisions can be costly.

That is why rainfall risk deserves a place in a broader farm risk-management plan. At Bath Insurance Group, we help producers across Indiana and Ohio evaluate whether PRF insurance fits their operation.

What Is Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance?

PRF insurance, sometimes called rainfall index insurance, is a federally supported insurance program for eligible perennial pasture, rangeland, and forage acres used to feed livestock. It is intended to help manage the risk of inadequate precipitation affecting forage availability. The value of PRF insurance comes from thoughtful policy design. Producers select the acreage to insure, the coverage level, a productivity factor, and the two-month index intervals that are most important to their operation. Coverage levels generally range from 70% to 90%. The policy uses precipitation information for a geographic grid rather than measuring rainfall on one farm or calculating an individual producer’s hay yield. Each grid represents a broader area, and the rainfall received in that grid is compared with its historical average for the same two-month interval. If the final rainfall index falls below the producer’s selected trigger level, an indemnity may be due.
This distinction is important: PRF insurance does not insure a producer’s individual forage production, and it does not use a farm rain gauge or a nearby weather station to determine a payment. It is an area-based tool that responds to the rainfall index for the insured grid and interval.
For an Indiana or Ohio cattle producer, the periods that matter most may be connected to spring green-up, summer grazing, hay growth, or fall forage recovery.  The best intervals are not automatically the wettest months; they are the periods when timely rainfall has the greatest influence on the feed plan.

How PRF Payment Can Support Your Operation

When an eligible rainfall index payment is triggered, the funds can help the operation respond to the financial consequences of lower precipitation. Depending on the situation, that may mean purchasing hay or feed, covering transportation costs, protecting working capital, or preserving flexibility while the producer adjusts grazing and feeding plans.

The payment is not restricted to a single invoice for hay or feed. That flexibility can be especially valuable during a dry season, when each operation faces different decisions. One farm may need to buy feed; another may need to protect cash flow after using stored forage sooner than expected.

PRF insurance should not replace sound grazing management, stored-feed planning, or a relationship with reliable feed suppliers. Instead, it can complement those practices by providing a financial backstop when rainfall conditions create an unexpected gap in the forage plan.

When should I review PRF coverage?

Now is a good time to review your Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance options and consider how coverage could fit your operation’s forage needs and feed budget. The sales closing date is December 1, 2026, so contact Bath Insurance Group before the deadline to request a quote and discuss your coverage choices. Reviewing your options early gives you time to consider the acres you want to insure, your coverage level and productivity factor, and the two-month rainfall intervals that matter most to your grazing or hay production. Whether you are considering PRF for the first time or reviewing an existing policy, use this opportunity to ask questions and make sure your selections reflect your operation’s needs.

FAQ

Who may benefit from PRF insurance?

Producers with eligible perennial pasture, rangeland, or forage acres used for grazing or haying may benefit. It can be particularly helpful for livestock operations that depend on those acres to reduce purchased-feed needs.

Does PRF insurance cover my individual pasture’s production?

No. PRF is based on rainfall conditions in a designated grid during the index intervals selected on the policy. It does not measure individual pasture growth, forage yield, or rainfall at a specific farm location.

How are PRF payments triggered?

A payment may be triggered when the final rainfall index for the insured grid and chosen two-month interval falls below the policyholder’s trigger level. Eligible payments are calculated using the policy’s coverage choices and the final index data.

Can PRF insurance help with rising hay costs?

It can help manage the financial pressure that follows inadequate rainfall. If a qualifying index payment occurs, the funds can support the operation as it responds to increased feed needs, including the need to purchase hay or other supplemental feed.

When rain doesn't come: How Pasture Rainfall Insurance Can Protect Indiana and Ohio Livestock Producers from Rising Feed Costs

 A dry stretch can turn a manageable grazing season into an expensive feed-buying season. Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance uses a rainfall index to help Indiana and Ohio livestock producers manage the financial impact of below-normal precipitation during the periods that matter most to their forage production. It is not a guarantee of individual pasture performance, but it can provide meaningful protection when rainfall patterns create pressure on hay supplies, grazing capacity, and feed budgets.

For cattle and other livestock operations, feed is often one of the largest and least predictable operating costs. When pasture growth slows or hay yields disappoint, producers may have to purchase supplemental feed earlier than planned, haul water, lease additional ground, or reduce herd numbers. Those decisions can be costly.

That is why rainfall risk deserves a place in a broader farm risk-management plan. At Bath Insurance Group, we help producers across Indiana and Ohio evaluate whether PRF insurance fits their operation.

What Is Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance?

PRF insurance, sometimes called rainfall index insurance, is a federally supported insurance program for eligible perennial pasture, rangeland, and forage acres used to feed livestock. It is intended to help manage the risk of inadequate precipitation affecting forage availability. The value of PRF insurance comes from thoughtful policy design. Producers select the acreage to insure, the coverage level, a productivity factor, and the two-month index intervals that are most important to their operation. Coverage levels generally range from 70% to 90%. The policy uses precipitation information for a geographic grid rather than measuring rainfall on one farm or calculating an individual producer’s hay yield. Each grid represents a broader area, and the rainfall received in that grid is compared with its historical average for the same two-month interval. If the final rainfall index falls below the producer’s selected trigger level, an indemnity may be due.
This distinction is important: PRF insurance does not insure a producer’s individual forage production, and it does not use a farm rain gauge or a nearby weather station to determine a payment. It is an area-based tool that responds to the rainfall index for the insured grid and interval.
For an Indiana or Ohio cattle producer, the periods that matter most may be connected to spring green-up, summer grazing, hay growth, or fall forage recovery.  The best intervals are not automatically the wettest months; they are the periods when timely rainfall has the greatest influence on the feed plan.

How PRF Payment Can Support Your Operation

When an eligible rainfall index payment is triggered, the funds can help the operation respond to the financial consequences of lower precipitation. Depending on the situation, that may mean purchasing hay or feed, covering transportation costs, protecting working capital, or preserving flexibility while the producer adjusts grazing and feeding plans.

The payment is not restricted to a single invoice for hay or feed. That flexibility can be especially valuable during a dry season, when each operation faces different decisions. One farm may need to buy feed; another may need to protect cash flow after using stored forage sooner than expected.

PRF insurance should not replace sound grazing management, stored-feed planning, or a relationship with reliable feed suppliers. Instead, it can complement those practices by providing a financial backstop when rainfall conditions create an unexpected gap in the forage plan.

When should I review PRF coverage?

Now is a good time to review your Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance options and consider how coverage could fit your operation’s forage needs and feed budget. The sales closing date is December 1, 2026, so contact Bath Insurance Group before the deadline to request a quote and discuss your coverage choices. Reviewing your options early gives you time to consider the acres you want to insure, your coverage level and productivity factor, and the two-month rainfall intervals that matter most to your grazing or hay production. Whether you are considering PRF for the first time or reviewing an existing policy, use this opportunity to ask questions and make sure your selections reflect your operation’s needs.

FAQ

Who may benefit from PRF insurance?

Producers with eligible perennial pasture, rangeland, or forage acres used for grazing or haying may benefit. It can be particularly helpful for livestock operations that depend on those acres to reduce purchased-feed needs.

Does PRF insurance cover my individual pasture’s production?

No. PRF is based on rainfall conditions in a designated grid during the index intervals selected on the policy. It does not measure individual pasture growth, forage yield, or rainfall at a specific farm location.

How are PRF payments triggered?

A payment may be triggered when the final rainfall index for the insured grid and chosen two-month interval falls below the policyholder’s trigger level. Eligible payments are calculated using the policy’s coverage choices and the final index data.

Can PRF insurance help with rising hay costs?

It can help manage the financial pressure that follows inadequate rainfall. If a qualifying index payment occurs, the funds can support the operation as it responds to increased feed needs, including the need to purchase hay or other supplemental feed.