Oakview Insurance Services is an independent insurance agency covering almond and walnut orchards, rice ground, and family farm operations in Durham, CA (zip code 95938) and across southern Butte County. Mariah Davis founded Oakview in her hometown of Yuba City in 2010. Our team of 20 dedicated insurance professionals has access to more than 100 A-rated carriers, including our core panel of 30+ direct-appointed carriers plus surplus lines and specialty markets. We have AFIS-certified and Nationwide Farm Certified agents on staff, Oakview is a member of the Butte County Farm Bureau, and our clients have given us 850+ five-star Google reviews. Durham operations tend to be layered: orchards and rice on the same ground, a shop and dryer behind the farmhouse, seasonal crews at harvest, and equipment running Midway Road and the Durham-Dayton Highway. We coordinate coverage across all of it, using separate policies where the operation needs them, and we can review an existing farm program side by side. Request a quote or call us at (530) 674-5054.
Why Durham Growers Choose Oakview
Durham growers work with us for a few practical reasons:
- AFIS-certified and Nationwide Farm Certified agents who work orchard, rice, and mixed operations across Butte County
- Membership in the Butte County Farm Bureau
- One advisor for the orchard, the farmhouse, the trucks, and the crew, so the policies fit together instead of leaving gaps between them
- Access to more than 100 A-rated carriers, so a non-renewal or a sharp renewal increase does not leave you without options
- Bilingual service in English and Spanish for owners, managers, and crews. Hablamos español.
- 850+ five-star Google reviews, voted Best Agent, Best Agency, and Best Customer Service multiple times by Appeal-Democrat readers, and a dedicated advisor instead of a call center. Meet our team.
Durham and Butte County Agriculture
Durham has a long orchard history. The first almond trees in the area went in experimentally in 1875 and commercially in 1895, and W.W. Durham and E.A. Epperson are credited with starting full-scale commercial almond growing in Butte County. In 1918 Durham became the site of California’s first State Land Settlement colony, created under a 1917 state law to break large holdings into family-sized farms. The colony itself was short-lived, but many of its farm families stayed.
Almonds, walnuts, and rice are the area’s most important crops today, and prunes and pecans show up on some of the mixed operations. Butte Creek is the water source that made all of it possible. One ranch established along Butte Creek in 1918 was irrigated by a gravity-fed system its founder designed, an early example of the water infrastructure the area still depends on. That kind of infrastructure, along with pumps, ditches, and pump houses, is part of what a Durham farm program has to account for.
Durham sits near the center of Butte County’s orchard and rice ground. The county’s 2024 Crop and Livestock Report put gross agricultural value at $589.1 million, led by walnuts at $150.3 million, almonds at $122.6 million, and rice at $118.2 million.
Wind, Wildfire, and Rebuild Costs for Durham Farms
Valley floor farms are not free of weather risk. On May 25, 2011, an EF1 tornado tracked through the orchards south of Durham and uprooted thousands of almond trees, and the same storm damaged barns and outbuildings across the area. Farm property policies can cover wind damage to insured barns, shops, and equipment, subject to the policy’s covered causes of loss, deductibles, and limits. Orchard trees are a separate question: many farm policies cover trees only for a short list of named perils, and some exclude windstorm entirely. We read that language with you before a storm, not after.
Wildfire is the other pressure. Since the 2018 Camp Fire, carriers have tightened their appetite across Butte County, and farm dwellings in the foothill-facing parts of the Durham area have seen non-renewals. When a standard carrier will not write a farm home or structure, the California FAIR Plan is a last-resort program for basic fire coverage, usually paired with a companion policy for what it leaves out. Oakview is an independent broker and is not an agent of, and does not represent, the California FAIR Plan.
Rebuild costs matter as much as availability. Construction and labor costs have climbed sharply in recent years, so a barn, shop, or dryer insured several years ago may be short at today’s prices. We check structure limits against current replacement costs at every review.
Crops and Operations We Insure in Durham
Most Durham operations grow more than one crop, and coverage has to follow the whole operation. We insure:
- Almond orchards, from young plantings through harvest
- Walnut orchards
- Rice ground, including on-farm drying and storage
- Prune and pecan orchards on mixed operations
- Custom harvesters and farm labor contractors
- Nurseries and other ag service businesses
For crop-by-crop detail, see our almond farm insurance, walnut farm insurance, and rice farm insurance pages, or start at our farm and agriculture insurance hub.
Farm Coverage for Durham Operations
Farm Dwellings, Outbuildings, and Structures
Many Durham properties have more on them than a house: barns, equipment sheds, pump houses, shops, and sometimes worker housing. A standard homeowners policy often limits or excludes those structures, especially once they are used for farming, even on a small scale. A farm dwelling or farm property program can cover the home, the outbuildings, and the farm structures together. We also look at how each building is valued. Replacement cost and actual cash value pay very differently after a loss, and where a carrier offers extended replacement cost, it can add a set percentage above the limit if building prices jump after a major event. Availability for barns and other farm structures varies by carrier.
Farm Liability
Field work, chemical storage, visitors, leased acreage, and equipment on public roads at harvest all create liability. A farm liability policy can address many of those premises and operations exposures, while auto liability and pollution usually need their own coverage. Growers who farm leased parcels also carry insurance obligations under their leases, and we review those agreements to make sure the policy actually meets them.
Equipment, Farm Trucks, and Vehicles
Shakers, sweepers, harvesters, and tractors should be valued at what it would cost to replace them today. Trucks are the other common gap. In Durham the line between a personal pickup and a work truck blurs fast, and a truck hauling equipment or workers may not be covered on a personal auto policy while it is doing farm work. We sort out which vehicles belong on commercial or farm auto coverage before a claim does it for you.
Workers Compensation and Farm Labor
California generally requires any employer with even one employee to carry workers compensation or be approved to self-insure. Almond and walnut harvest brings seasonal crews, piece-rate pay, and in some operations H-2A workers. We work with carriers that write agricultural workers compensation, help growers manage their experience modification factor, and stay involved on claims to protect long-term rates. Worker transportation and on-site safety get reviewed alongside the comp policy.
Specialty Farm Coverage
Depending on the operation, a Durham program may also include:
- Irrigation equipment, pumps, and pump houses
- Leased acreage and custom-harvested machinery
- Agricultural pollution liability
- Commercial and farm umbrella coverage
Hullers, Dehydrators, and Rice Dryers
Processing is where a Durham farm’s values concentrate. Almond hullers, walnut hullers, and walnut dehydrators each carry their own fire and equipment breakdown exposure, and on-farm rice dryers add stored grain and seasonal business income on top of the building and equipment. We structure property, equipment breakdown, business income, and liability coverage for these facilities, whether they sit inside the farm program or need a separate commercial policy.
Why an Independent Agent Makes a Difference in Durham
A captive agent represents one company. When that company raises rates, pulls back from wildfire areas, or does not write the kind of operation you run, the captive agent has nothing else to offer. Oakview works for the client, not for a carrier. Our farm markets include Nationwide Agribusiness, Travelers Agribusiness, Liberty Mutual, Zenith Agribusiness, Chubb Agribusiness, Granwest, Philadelphia Insurance, and Capital Insurance Group (CIG), and we compare across the market every time we review your coverage.
Switching does not have to mean starting over. We begin with a side-by-side review of your current program. Depending on carrier requirements and our appointments, we can often keep your existing policies and take over service as your agency, with the goal of no gap in coverage. If we find gaps or improvements, we lay them out clearly before anything changes.
What Our Farm Clients Are Saying
Oakview has earned 850+ five-star Google reviews from clients across Butte, Yuba, Sutter, and Colusa Counties. Farm clients tend to mention the same things: quick answers during harvest, honest comparisons across carriers, and an advisor who understands orchard and rice operations.
Read what our clients say on Google.
Frequently Asked Questions: Durham Farm Insurance
Do you insure almond and walnut orchards in Durham?
Yes. Almonds and walnuts are Durham’s main crops, and we build programs around orchard structures, harvest equipment, equipment on public roads during harvest, irrigation infrastructure, hullers and dehydrators, and the liability that comes with field work and seasonal crews. Our almond and walnut pages cover each crop in more detail.
Do you insure rice operations and on-farm dryers around Durham?
Yes. Durham sits in Butte County’s rice ground, and many operations grow rice alongside tree crops and run their own drying and storage. We cover field operations, dryer and storage facilities, equipment breakdown, and the Butte Creek irrigation infrastructure these farms depend on. See our rice farm insurance page for more.
Would a farm policy cover damage from a storm like the 2011 tornado south of Durham?
A farm property policy can cover wind damage to insured barns, outbuildings, and equipment, subject to its covered causes of loss, deductibles, and limits. Orchard trees are different. Many farm policies cover trees only for specific named perils, and some exclude windstorm, so the 2011 tornado is a good reason to review your tree coverage language now rather than after a loss.
My Durham farmhouse has a barn and shop behind it. Does my homeowners policy cover them?
Possibly not. Homeowners policies usually limit outbuilding coverage to a percentage of the dwelling limit, and exclusions can apply once a structure is used for farming. A farm dwelling or farm property program is often the better fit, and we can review your current policy to confirm what is actually covered.
Are irrigation pumps and pump houses covered on a Durham farm policy?
Not automatically. Coverage for pumps, motors, electrical panels, pump houses, and underground lines depends on how the policy describes and schedules them, and a breakdown or electrical failure may need equipment breakdown coverage. For farms drawing from Butte Creek or wells, we review that equipment as part of the program.
What can I do if my Durham farm home gets a wildfire non-renewal?
Call us as soon as the notice arrives. We search admitted carriers first, then surplus lines, and if nothing standard is available we explain the California FAIR Plan as a last-resort option along with companion coverage for what it leaves out. Oakview is an independent broker and is not an agent of, and does not represent, the California FAIR Plan.
Do farm trucks in Durham need commercial auto coverage?
Often, yes. A pickup used to haul equipment, move bins, or carry workers may not be covered on a personal auto policy during farm use. We review how each vehicle is used and place it on the right policy.
Can you write workers compensation for harvest crews in Durham?
Yes. We work with carriers that write agricultural workers compensation for seasonal crews, piece-rate pay, and H-2A workers common at almond and walnut harvest. We also help growers manage their experience modification factor and stay involved on claims.
How does switching to Oakview work for a Durham farm that already has coverage?
We start with a side-by-side review of your current program. Depending on carrier requirements and our appointments, we can often keep your existing policies and take over service as your agency, with the goal of continuous coverage. There is no pressure and no obligation.
How do I get started with farm insurance in Durham, CA?
Call us at (530) 674-5054 or request a quote online. We will learn how your operation runs and recommend coverage built around it.
Serving Durham and Surrounding Farm Communities
Oakview insures farms in Durham (95938) and the surrounding Butte County ag communities, including Chico, Richvale (95974), Biggs (95917), Gridley (95948), and Oroville (95965 and 95966), along with the orchard and rice ground along Butte Creek and the Durham-Dayton Highway.
Nearby Oakview farm pages: Chico, Richvale, Biggs
For home, auto, and business coverage, see our Chico insurance page.
For local ag news and resources, visit the Butte County Farm Bureau.
Not sure your orchard trees are covered for wind? Running a dryer or huller that was insured years ago and never revalued? Holding a non-renewal on the farmhouse, or heading into harvest with a new crew and trucks that are still on personal policies? These are the conversations we have with Durham growers every season. Call us at (530) 674-5054 or use the button below to start your quote.