Insurance, and what your policy probably excludes

Three different risks

They are separate and a policy can cover one and not the others.

Someone gets stung. A neighbor, a visitor, a customer at a market, someone near an out-yard. This is liability and it is the one people think of.

Someone gets ill or hurt from the product. Product liability. Rare with honey and not zero, and it is the coverage a wholesale buyer will ask about by name.

You lose the bees or the equipment. Theft, vandalism, fire, flood, a truck backing into a yard. This is property and hives are frequently excluded from residential property cover.

Your homeowner policy is not the answer

Many homeowner policies cover incidental keeping of bees for personal use and stop covering anything once there is a commercial activity. Selling at a market, even in small amounts, is commonly enough to trigger a business-pursuits exclusion, and the exclusion applies to the sting claim as well as the product one.

It also very likely excludes anyone helping you, paid or not, and excludes hives kept away from the insured property. If your hives are in a friend's field, check that specifically.

Ask your insurer in writing and keep the answer. A verbal assurance from an agent is not a coverage position, and this is exactly the kind of claim where the policy language is read closely.

What a market or a buyer will ask for

Most farmers markets require a general liability certificate naming the market as additional insured, commonly at a set minimum, before you can book a stall. Wholesale accounts usually require product liability and will send you their own requirement.

These are the two moments producers discover they need cover, and both come with a deadline attached. Getting a certificate issued takes days, not hours.

Getting it in place

Start with your state or national beekeeping association. Several run or negotiate group programs for members, and those are usually the cheapest route for a small operation and are written by people who understand hives.

Otherwise look for a farm or small-agribusiness policy rather than a general small-business one, and be specific about hive numbers, out-yard locations, whether anyone helps you, and what and where you sell. Under-describing the operation to get a lower quote is how a claim gets denied.

References