Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Wildfire Series
May 25th – Napa, CA — On Tuesday, May 24, the Napa County Farm Bureau hosted California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and brought him to the Napa Valley to hear first-hand from Napa County Farm Bureau’s growers and vintners and their challenges with wildfire insurance coverage after the series of wildfires that affected Napa County.
Farm Bureau members engaged in an extremely productive two hour conversation with Insurance Commissioner Lara relaying their personal experiences being non-renewed for wildfire insurance or experiencing their rates being tripled or more. Joining Insurance Commissioner Lara were Supervisors Alfredo Pedroza and Diane Dillon of Napa County, Supervisor James Gore of Sonoma County and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
“It is very important to me that we came here to Napa Valley with the Farm Bureau and heard directly from you about the challenges you’re experiencing”, said California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara during the event. The Insurance Commissioner discussed a variety of ways that his office is working to address this ongoing wildfire insurance coverage issue and the current steps his office is taking to examine the problem and find solutions.
“This is a top priority for the Napa County Farm Bureau and one we’re taking very seriously. Members becoming non-renewed or having their rates dramatically increased due to wildfires will dramatically affect the way we are able to do business in Napa County,” said Johnnie White, President of the Napa County Farm Bureau.
“Steps like Farm Bureau sponsored Senate Bill 11 which would provide basic coverage under the California FAIR plan are a start, but more needs to be done. We need to engage insurance companies on this issue because rates that dramatically increase are not sustainable. Fire mitigation work also needs to be recognized by insurance companies as reducing risk and translated into lower premiums,” said Ryan Klobas, Chief Executive Officer of the Napa County Farm Bureau.
The Napa County Farm Bureau will continue this ongoing series to engage our Napa Valley community and continue to work to address this issue and provide meaningful reforms that will make a difference in Napa County.
The event was held at Castello di Amorosa, a Farm Bureau member that was notably impacted by the wildfires and the Farm Bureau thanks Dario Sattui and Tom Davies for welcoming us to Castello di Amorosa to have these discussions.
