Oakview Insurance Services writes farm and agribusiness insurance for growers and ranchers in Maxwell, CA (zip code 95955) and the surrounding part of western Colusa County, from rice and almonds on the valley floor to cattle on the foothill range west of town. 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, and Oakview is a member of the Colusa County Farm Bureau. Our Maxwell work covers rice and grain storage, almond and walnut orchards, processing tomatoes, irrigation equipment, and foothill cattle operations, and we have earned 850+ five-star Google reviews. Request a quote or call us at (530) 674-5054.
Why Maxwell Growers and Ranchers Choose Oakview
Maxwell operations work with Oakview for a few practical reasons:
- AFIS-certified and Nationwide Farm Certified agents who start with how your operation runs: valley ground, foothill range, equipment, water, and crews
- Members of the Colusa County Farm Bureau
- Independent access to farm markets such as Nationwide Agribusiness, Travelers Agribusiness, and Granwest, so we can coordinate farm, ranch, and commercial policies for an operation that combines rice, orchards, and cattle
- 850+ five-star Google reviews, and voted Best Agent, Best Agency, and Best Customer Service multiple times by readers of the Appeal-Democrat
- Bilingual service in English and Spanish for owners, managers, and crews. Hablamos español.
- A dedicated advisor who knows your operation, not a call center. Meet our team.
Maxwell and Colusa County Agriculture
Maxwell started out in 1877 as Occident, a new town laid out on the Northern Railway survey where the line crossed Stone Corral Road. George Maxwell ran a saloon there from the start and became the first postmaster, and in 1878 the railroad renamed the town to match the post office. Farming and the rail line shaped the town from the beginning, and farming still sets the town’s pace. East of town, the valley floor runs to rice, almonds, walnuts, and processing tomatoes. West of town, the ground rises into the Coast Range foothills, where cattle ranching goes back generations. Plenty of local families do both, with rice or orchards on the valley floor and cows on foothill range, and that mix shapes how their insurance has to be built.
Colusa County’s 2024 crop report put gross agricultural value at $844.6 million. Almonds led at $279.0 million, rice followed at $199.8 million on 118,386 harvested acres, and processing tomatoes added $96.0 million.
Water drives most of what happens on the valley ground, and where it comes from depends on the property. Maxwell Irrigation District holds its own water rights, with diversion points that include Stone Corral Creek. The Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID), the largest irrigation district in the Sacramento Valley, also serves farmland in this part of Colusa County, diverting from the Sacramento River under water rights dating to 1883. Part of GCID’s supply runs through a settlement contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, and in a declared Shasta Critical Year that supply can be cut to 75 percent. Drought can cut deeper: GCID’s 2022 allocation fell to a historically low 18 percent. Groundwater planning under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act adds another layer.
District-owned canals and laterals belong to the district. Pumps, wells, motors, and field pipelines serving a grower’s parcels may be the grower’s responsibility, depending on ownership and any agreements with the district, and that equipment is easy to undervalue on a property schedule.
Sites Reservoir and Maxwell-Area Farms
Sites Reservoir is a proposed 1.5 million acre-foot off-stream reservoir about 10 miles west of Maxwell, in the foothills of Colusa and Glenn counties. It would fill with Sacramento River water diverted at Red Bluff and Hamilton City through existing canals, including the GCID main canal, and hold it for drier years. The Sites Project Authority, a joint powers authority of Sacramento Valley water agencies, counties, and cities, keeps its office in Maxwell, and the Maxwell Irrigation District has served on its board.
The project has state funding through the Proposition 1 Water Storage Investment Program and federal support under the 2016 WIIN Act. The State Water Resources Control Board issued the project’s water quality certification on September 10, 2026. Separately, the board released a revised draft water right decision and permit in September 2026 and scheduled them for consideration at its November 4, 2026 meeting. Sites is still a proposed project, and its construction schedule and final operating conditions depend on further approvals. The State Water Board’s Sites proceeding page has the current documents.
For growers and ranchers near the footprint, Sites raises practical insurance questions. Ground in the inundation area or along new roads may change hands, and rangeland leases there may end or shift. Project plans call for either a bridge or a bypass road to keep Maxwell connected to Lodoga, and the final alignment and schedule could change access and equipment routes for nearby farms and ranches. As project details firm up, it makes sense to check which locations, buildings, and leases your policies list and whether your liability and auto coverage still match where you work.
Crops and Operations We Insure Around Maxwell
We insure farms, ranches, and ag businesses across the Maxwell area, including:
- Rice, including drying and grain storage
- Almonds and walnuts, including hullers
- Processing tomatoes
- Wheat, alfalfa hay, and seed crops
- Cattle and foothill ranch operations
- Wine grapes and vineyards toward Princeton and the Sacramento River
- Custom harvesters and ag service contractors
Vineyard operations near Princeton need attention beyond a standard farm policy: trellis and irrigation infrastructure, and liability, including liquor liability, for any operation that sells direct to consumers or hosts tastings or events.
For more on our crop programs, see our rice farm insurance, almond farm insurance, and walnut farm insurance pages.
Farm Coverage for Maxwell Operations
Every operation is different, and specific policies and endorsements depend on what you own, lease, and do. These are the coverage areas we review most often with Maxwell clients.
Farm Property and Structures
A Maxwell property schedule often has to carry a dryer or bins, shops and equipment sheds, farm housing, and irrigation equipment spread across several parcels. Replacement costs have climbed, so values set a few years ago may fall short.
- Farm dwellings, rental homes, and farm labor housing
- Barns, shops, equipment sheds, and storage buildings
- Rice dryers, bins, and grain storage
- Irrigation pumps, wells, motors, and on-farm water delivery equipment
- Packing sheds and cold storage
Farm and Agribusiness Liability
Equipment moves between parcels and down county roads, crews work leased ground, and some operations sell what they grow or do custom work for neighbors. Each of those creates its own liability exposure.
- Premises and operations liability
- Products and completed operations for processing tomato and orchard operations
- Landowner and leased land liability
- Custom farming liability, plus a review of farm and commercial auto coverage for trucks and equipment on public roads
- Vineyard and winery liability, including a review of tasting rooms, alcohol service, direct sales, and events
- Farm and commercial umbrella
Agricultural Equipment and Machinery
- Tractors, harvesters, sprayers, and orchard equipment
- Scheduled and blanket farm machinery coverage
- Equipment breakdown for hullers, dryers, and irrigation pumps
- Coverage options for theft, fire, collision, and equipment in transit, subject to policy terms and exclusions
Workers Compensation for Agricultural Operations
Harvest adds seasonal crews on top of year-round staff, so accurate payroll reporting and classification matter, especially for seasonal, H-2A, and piece-rate workers.
- Seasonal and year-round agricultural labor
- H-2A and piece-rate classification support
- Experience mod management and claims advocacy
- Insurance classification and workers comp guidance for California agricultural employers
Ranch, Flood, and Specialty Coverage
Foothill ranches west of Maxwell carry livestock, fence, stock water, and rangeland lease exposures that valley farms do not. For cattle operations, we help arrange livestock mortality coverage, ranch liability, and coverage for eligible ranch property on owned or leased rangeland. Available protection depends on the insurer, policy terms, covered causes of loss, and underwriting requirements. Closer to the river, flood is the bigger question.
- Flood insurance options for eligible farm buildings and contents
- Livestock and cattle mortality
- Leased rangeland and ranch property
- Agricultural pollution and pollutant cleanup liability
Why an Independent Farm Agent Matters in Maxwell
A captive agent sells one company’s farm program. If that program does not fit an operation that farms rice on the valley floor and runs cattle in the foothills, or one that owns a dryer and leases ground in two counties, the captive agent has nowhere else to go. We can coordinate farm, ranch, commercial, and specialty policies and endorsements across several carriers. As an independent agency, Oakview has access to more than 100 A-rated carriers, including our core panel of 30+ direct-appointed carriers plus surplus lines and specialty markets. Our farm markets include Nationwide Agribusiness, Travelers Agribusiness, Liberty Mutual, Zenith Agribusiness, Chubb Agribusiness, Granwest, Philadelphia Insurance, and Capital Insurance Group (CIG).
If you move an existing program to Oakview, we time the new policies to start as the old ones end, or, where a carrier allows it, request a broker of record change on current policies. Many Maxwell clients also have one advisor handle their farm, business, home, and auto coverage, so the policies work together and gaps are less likely. For an overview of all our farm programs, see our farm and agriculture insurance page.
What Our Farm Clients Are Saying
Oakview has earned 850+ five-star Google reviews from clients across the Sacramento Valley, including farm and ranch families and ag business owners.
Read what our clients say on Google.
Frequently Asked Questions: Maxwell Farm Insurance
Do you specialize in farm and agriculture insurance in Maxwell?
Yes. Farm and agribusiness insurance is a core part of our work in Maxwell and western Colusa County, from small family operations to large rice and orchard growers. We have AFIS-certified and Nationwide Farm Certified agents on staff, and Oakview is a member of the Colusa County Farm Bureau.
Does farm insurance cover irrigation pumps and wells in Maxwell?
It can. Maxwell-area farms draw water from Maxwell Irrigation District, GCID, or their own wells, and the district maintains its own infrastructure. Growers may own or be responsible for pumps, wells, motors, risers, pipelines, and other equipment serving their parcels. We review ownership, maintenance agreements, and insurable interest first, then schedule that equipment at current replacement values. Equipment breakdown coverage can respond to mechanical or electrical failure, subject to policy terms.
Do you insure cattle ranches in the foothills west of Maxwell?
Yes. Foothill ranches carry different exposures than valley ground: livestock, fences, stock water, rangeland leases, and equipment working rough terrain. We help arrange livestock mortality coverage, ranch liability, and coverage for eligible ranch property on owned or leased rangeland. Available protection depends on the insurer, policy terms, and underwriting.
How could Sites Reservoir affect insurance for Maxwell-area farms and ranches?
Sites Reservoir is proposed about 10 miles west of Maxwell. If you own or lease ground in or near the footprint, a sale or a lease change can leave buildings, equipment, or liability coverage listed on the wrong locations. Project plans call for either a bridge or a bypass road between Maxwell and Lodoga, and the final route could change access and equipment movement nearby. We review your insured locations, leases, and liability exposures as project details firm up.
Do you insure vineyards and wine grape operations near Princeton?
Yes. We help insure vineyard infrastructure such as trellis and irrigation systems, farm liability, and winery coverage for operations that sell direct to consumers or host tastings or events, including a review of liquor liability where alcohol is served. Coverage for the vines themselves varies by carrier.
Can Maxwell-area farms get flood coverage?
Often, yes. Low ground toward Princeton and the Sacramento River carries the most flood exposure. Standard farm policies usually exclude flood, so we review National Flood Insurance Program and private flood options for eligible farm buildings and contents, subject to program rules and underwriting. NFIP policies generally have a 30-day waiting period, though exceptions apply.
Which farm insurance carriers does Oakview work with?
As an independent agency, we have access to more than 100 A-rated carriers, including our core panel of 30+ direct-appointed carriers plus surplus lines and specialty markets. Our farm markets include Nationwide Agribusiness, Travelers Agribusiness, Liberty Mutual, Zenith Agribusiness, Chubb Agribusiness, Granwest, Philadelphia Insurance, and Capital Insurance Group (CIG). That range lets us coordinate policies and endorsements for an operation that farms valley ground and runs cattle in the foothills.
Can you handle farm, business, and personal insurance together for Maxwell clients?
Yes. Many Maxwell clients have one advisor handle their farm, ranch, business, home, and auto coverage, so the policies work together and gaps are less likely.
How do I get a farm insurance quote in Maxwell?
Call us at (530) 674-5054 or request a quote online. We learn how your operation runs first, then recommend coverage that fits.
Serving Maxwell and Surrounding Farm Communities
Oakview serves farms and ranches in Maxwell (95955) and nearby Williams (95987), Princeton (95970), Grimes (95950), College City (95912), Sites, and Lodoga, along with the rest of Colusa County.
Nearby Oakview farm pages: Colusa, Williams, Arbuckle
For local ag news, events, and resources, visit the Colusa County Farm Bureau.
Farming rice on the valley floor and running cattle in the foothills under two separate programs? Holding ground or a lease near the Sites Reservoir footprint? Adding a dryer, a huller, or new pumps before next season? Growing grapes near Princeton and opening to visitors? These are the conversations we have with Maxwell growers. Call us at (530) 674-5054 or use the button below to start your quote.