Ask the Expert: Understanding Turfgrass Value Select Coverage with Shaun Collins

In this Ask the Expert, Shaun Collins answers questions about the new Turfgrass Value Select (TVS) pilot program from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), the first insurance product of its kind for the turfgrass industry.

Shaun has worked with RMA for over 16 years and currently serves as RMA’s New Products Coordinator, overseeing development of new crop insurance programs which are developed either internally by RMA or by private developers. In his role, Shaun coordinates with teammates to develop new crop insurance policies internally and review privately developed crop insurance products.

Shaun has been instrumental in the development of several new crop insurance products, including Nursery Value Select, which served as the model for TVS. Shaun credits the successful development of these new products to the tremendous team members he works with at RMA, along with their specialized knowledge and skill sets.

What is TVS and how does it work?

TVS is an inventory-based plan of insurance being piloted for turfgrass (sod) producers in select counties in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.

Key design aspects of the program include the ease of establishing insurance and ability for producers to customize the program to their individual risk management needs. When purchasing a policy, turfgrass producers can select a dollar amount of coverage for the irrigated turfgrass types they choose to insure based on their expected inventory and risk management needs.

In most situations, there are minimal records that need to be provided to establish coverage. However, for a turfgrass type and variety to be insurable, producers must have verifiable sales records showing they have grown and sold that type and variety in one of the previous three years prior to purchasing coverage. Insurable turfgrass types include Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine, Zoysia, Kentucky Bluegrass, Tall Fescue, and Tall Fescue/Kentucky Bluegrass Mix. Producers can choose between catastrophic coverage (CAT) or additional coverage up to 85% of their selected value for insurance. 

For an additional premium, producers can either choose to add on the Occurrence Loss Option for shallow loss coverage to an additional coverage level policy or Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index coverage in counties where the program is available to their additional coverage level or CAT policy.   

How was the initial pilot area determined?

TVS is being piloted in a limited area initially so the program can be evaluated for any issues that need to be addressed before expanding the program more broadly. The pilot area was selected based on states that represent a cross-section of growing conditions and where the heaviest concentration of turfgrass production was reported to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). Counties with at least 100 acres reported to FSA between 2022 to 2024 in the pilot states were included in the initial pilot area. The pilot area was approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors beginning with the 2027 crop year.

Will TVS be made available in other states and counties? 

The earliest potential for program expansion is the 2028 crop year. RMA is aware that not all turfgrass producers report acreage to FSA. We are keeping track of requests for expansions to counties with significant turfgrass acreage not reported to FSA within the pilot states and looking for other data sources that could be used to verify planted acreage.

Pilot expansions must be approved by the FCIC board.

If you’re looking for coverage in an area where TVS is not yet available, FSA’s Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program or RMA’s Whole Farm Revenue Protection could be good options for your operation.

What’s the deadline to purchase coverage? 

The initial sales closing date for the 2027 crop year for TVS is Sept. 1, 2026, for all pilot states and counties. 

In general, the sales closing date is the last day producers can purchase or renew coverage. However, for TVS, producers in eligible areas can purchase pro-rated coverage for the remainder of the 2027 crop year at any time after the initial sales closing date. 

For the 2028 crop year, pilot counties in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas will have a sales closing date of May 1, 2027. Eligible counties in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Oklahoma will have a 2028 crop year sales closing date of Sept. 1, 2027. 

Where can I find more information?

Turfgrass producers can visit the TVS webpage, where they can find program resources, including a recent webinar. Producers interested in purchasing a policy should reach out to a crop insurance agent to enroll and to see how TVS can help meet the needs of their specific operation.

Producers can learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting their RMA Regional Office. RMA’s Basics for Beginners provides information for those new to crop insurance.

Lauren Moore is a public affairs specialist with USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation Business Center.