Why Butte County Growers Choose Oakview
- AFIS and Nationwide Farm Certified agents who handle farm and agribusiness coverage every day, not as a sideline
- Proud member of the Butte County Farm Bureau
- 30+ A-rated carriers, including the major agribusiness markets, so coverage is matched to your operation and not one company’s farm program
- Wildfire-aware farm coverage for orchards, equipment, and structures in high-fire Butte County, including FAIR Plan options for farm buildings when standard markets pull back
- Walnut and almond huller and dryer expertise, not just field coverage
- 807+ verified five-star Google reviews, voted Best Agent, Best Agency, and Best Customer Service multiple years running
- One advisor for the whole operation: farm, equipment, liability, farm auto, workers comp, and your home and personal coverage
- Bilingual service for owners and crews. Hablamos Español.
- Not a call center. You work with a real, dedicated advisor.
Butte County Agriculture in 2024
Butte County produced $589.1 million in gross agricultural value in 2024, and agriculture remains the county’s number one industry, tied to roughly one in seven local jobs. Walnuts reclaimed the top spot at $150.3 million on a 75 percent price rebound, with almonds second at $122.5 million and rice, the region’s long-time staple, third at $118 million. Prunes and dried plums, nursery stock, olives, and kiwi round out a diverse base, and Butte ranks second in California for rice, walnut, prune, kiwifruit, and pecan acreage. Organic added $29 million across more than 6,000 acres.
The numbers also moved a lot year to year. Walnut prices rebounded hard, rice acreage fell about 16 percent, and almond yields and prices recovered. When values swing like that, equipment limits, stored-product values, and liability exposure are worth a real look every renewal, not a glance every few years.
Farm and Agriculture Insurance for Butte County Operations
We build farm programs around the specific crops, equipment, labor, and liability exposures of a Butte County operation. The coverage conversation usually includes:
- Farm property: barns, shops, equipment sheds, outbuildings, and irrigation infrastructure
- Equipment and machinery valued at replacement cost, since machinery prices have climbed and older limits often fall short
- Orchard, huller, and dryer exposures, including equipment breakdown and product liability
- Farm liability for field operations, custom work, agritourism, and seasonal labor
- Farm and commercial auto for trucks, trailers, and field vehicles
- Workers compensation aligned to Butte County agricultural labor requirements
- Wildfire exposure for orchards, equipment, and farm structures, including FAIR Plan options for farm buildings
- Leased acreage and custom farming liability coordination
- Organic operations
For a broader look at our farm and agribusiness programs across California, see our Farm and Agriculture Insurance page.
Wildfire Coverage for Butte County Orchards and Farm Structures
Butte County farms sit in the same high-fire landscape that reshaped the homeowners market after the Camp Fire and the North Complex fires. Orchards, equipment, hullers, dryers, barns, and outbuildings all carry wildfire exposure, and it is the piece most generic farm policies handle poorly. As standard carriers have pulled back from high-fire zip codes, some farm structures now need a California FAIR Plan policy paired with companion coverage to stay properly protected.
We build that into the conversation rather than leaving it as an afterthought. We look at orchard and structure wildfire exposure, the defensible space and mitigation that affect insurability and price, and FAIR Plan options for farm buildings when the standard market will not write them. For high-fire details and homeowner coverage, see our Butte County High Fire Insurance page.
Crops and Operations We Insure in the Chico Area
- Walnuts and walnut hullers and dryers
- Almonds and almond hullers
- Rice, including field operations, drying, and storage
- Prunes and dried plums
- Olives
- Kiwi
- Nursery and orchard stock
- Certified and transitioning organic operations
- Cattle and livestock
- Custom harvesters and ag service contractors
- Grower, packer, and shipper operations
Walnut and Almond Orchards, Hullers, and Dryers
Walnuts and almonds are the county’s two leading crops, and Butte is full of huller and dryer operations that carry exposures a standard farm policy was never built for. We cover orchard property, equipment, huller and dryer equipment breakdown, stored-product and product liability, and the field and road liability that comes with harvest, plus the wildfire exposure on the structures themselves.
Rice Operations
Rice is the long-time staple of the region. We cover field operations, drying and storage, equipment, and liability, and we make sure equipment and stored-product limits reflect current values rather than what they were a decade ago.
Prunes, Olives, and Diversified Orchards
Butte’s diversity is its strength, from prunes and dried plums to olives, kiwi, and nursery stock. We build coverage that accounts for mixed operations, multiple crops, and the equipment and structures that support them.
Huller, Dryer, and Agribusiness Insurance in Chico, CA
Butte County is a hub for huller and dryer operations, ag processing, and distribution that support the orchard economy. These operations carry commercial exposures well past a standard farm policy, and a generalist agency often misses them.
We help Chico-area huller, dryer, and agribusiness operations with:
- Equipment breakdown coverage for hullers, dryers, and processing equipment
- Product liability and contamination coverage for processed and stored product
- Commercial property for processing facilities, storage, and warehouses
- Business interruption coverage for downtime during harvest and processing season
- Commercial auto and fleet coverage for hauling and distribution
- Workers compensation for seasonal and year-round processing labor
- General liability for operations open to growers and the public
Agribusiness Carriers We Work With
As an independent agency, we place farm and agribusiness coverage across the major agricultural markets, which lets us match the carrier to the operation instead of forcing the operation into one company’s box. Our agribusiness markets include Nationwide Agribusiness, Travelers Agribusiness, Liberty Mutual, Zenith Agribusiness, Chubb Agribusiness, Grange Insurance Association, Philadelphia Insurance, and Capital Insurance Group (CIG), along with specialty and non-standard markets including the California FAIR Plan and Mesa.
Serving Farms Across Chico and Butte County
Oakview Insurance Services serves farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses throughout Chico and the surrounding Butte County agricultural communities, including Durham, Nord, Biggs, Gridley, Richvale, Oroville, Palermo, and Dayton. We serve zip codes 95926 and 95928 (Chico), 95938 (Durham), 95917 (Biggs), 95948 (Gridley), 95974 (Richvale), and 95965 (Oroville).
We also serve nearby farming communities with dedicated pages for Durham, Biggs, Richvale, and Gridley farm insurance. For local connections and resources, the Butte County Farm Bureau, which we are proud to belong to, is a strong starting point.
Serving the Chico, CA Area
Servicio en Español — Seguro Agrícola en Chico, CA
En Oakview Insurance Services, ofrecemos servicio en español para los agricultores, ganaderos, y negocios agrícolas de Chico y el condado de Butte. Ya sea seguro para su rancho, equipo, responsabilidad civil, vehículos agrícolas, o compensación de trabajadores, le ayudamos a encontrar la cobertura correcta al precio correcto.
Llámenos al (530) 674-5054 o complete el formulario en línea. Hablamos español y estamos listos para servirle.
What Our Clients Are Saying
Oakview Insurance Services has earned 807+ verified five-star Google reviews from clients across the Sacramento Valley, including farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness owners in Butte County. Growers tell us they appreciate working with an advisor who understands a farm operation, shops the market honestly, and is there when a claim happens.
Read what our clients say on Google and see why Sacramento Valley farms trust Oakview with their coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions — Chico Farm Insurance
Do you write farm and agriculture insurance in Chico and Butte County?
Yes. We have AFIS and Nationwide Farm Certified agents who handle farm and agribusiness coverage for Butte County operations, from walnut and almond orchards to rice, prunes, olives, and huller and dryer operations. We are also a member of the Butte County Farm Bureau. We build the program around the specific crops, equipment, labor, and liability of your operation.
Are you an independent agency, and do you specialize in farm coverage?
Yes to both. We are independent and work with more than 30 A-rated carriers, including the major agribusiness markets, and our AFIS and Nationwide Farm Certified agents handle farm and agribusiness coverage every day. That depth is what separates a specialist from a general agency that writes the occasional farm policy.
Do you insure walnut and almond orchards, hullers, and dryers?
Yes. We cover orchard property, equipment, huller and dryer equipment breakdown, stored-product and product liability, and the field and road liability that comes with harvest, plus the wildfire exposure on the structures themselves.
Do you cover wildfire exposure for orchards, equipment, and farm structures?
Yes. Butte County farms sit in high-fire country, and orchards, equipment, and structures all carry wildfire exposure. We address it directly, including California FAIR Plan options for farm buildings when standard carriers will not write them, and we document defensible space and mitigation that can affect insurability and price.
What crops and operations do you insure in Butte County?
Walnuts, almonds, rice, prunes and dried plums, olives, kiwi, nursery and orchard stock, organic operations, cattle and livestock, custom harvesters, huller and dryer operations, and grower-packer-shipper operations. If you farm it in Butte County, we can usually cover it.
Do you write farm workers compensation?
Yes. We place workers compensation aligned to Butte County agricultural labor, including seasonal and harvest crews, through carriers that understand farm and processing classifications.
Do you cover rice operations?
Yes. Rice is a long-time staple here, and we cover field operations, drying and storage, equipment, and liability, with limits set to reflect current equipment and stored-product values.
Do you offer Spanish-language service for farm operations and crews?
Yes. We offer bilingual service in English and Spanish for owners, managers, and crews. Llame al (530) 674-5054.
How do I get a farm insurance quote in Chico, CA?
Call our office at (530) 674-5054 or complete the form on this page. We respond promptly, learn how your operation runs, and give you honest coverage recommendations.