“Many of my customers have commented that they are spending quite a bit of money to use precision, so they are very happy the data they are collecting can be used for insurance as well,” she said.

Rogers offers FMH Precision Crop Insurance Solutions™, a technology-based service that uses precision data for crop insurance – speeding up reporting, increasing accuracy of coverage, and simplifying claims and audits. She is in her fifth year of offering this service.

During planting this year, she encouraged her customers to “just hit record” and use their precision data for acreage reporting. It not only saves time for her customers, but also for agents like Samantha.

“One of the biggest advantages to using precision for reporting (especially on larger accounts) is that there is less room for error,” she explained. 

She added, “If changes need to be made, it’s very fast and simple. FSA 578 reports aren’t needed – a huge time savings for agents like me.”

Traditionally, farmers would use their FSA 578 forms to report acreage to their agent, which meant the agent would receive data late in spring and sometimes up against the RMA-required Acreage Reporting Deadline. With FMH Precision Solutions, farmers can export their data to their agent as soon as they are done planting – and their agent can provide them with a report to bring to their FSA appointment instead.

“It’s a common misconception that 578’s are needed for acreage reporting,” said Marc Husman, FMH Precision Tech Specialist. “RMA just needs the planting information, which is already right there in the farmer’s precision data." 

As an added benefit, farmers who report with precision data are using the most accurate data available, which means they insure exactly what they plant and can potentially increase APH and reduce premium. With more accurate data and electronic record-keeping, FMH Precision Solutions improves claims and audits as well.

“Less records are needed, so when a claim happens, the process is quick and easy,” explained Rogers. “No more measuring bins, which is a big time-savings. If the farmer keeps their equipment calibrated, the data is just as accurate – if not more accurate – than the bin measurements.”

Husman added how most claims can be completed with a Precision Solutions-certified adjuster at a fraction of the time needed using traditional records. “In many cases, the adjuster only needs to make one appointment with the farmer, and the appointment is less than an hour.”

In turn, RMA-required audits are also faster and simpler. “I have had first-hand experience with an audit where the farmer was using precision; the entire audit took less than one hour to complete for about 3,000 acres!” said Rogers.