And David Redman, an adviser in Lawrence County, Ind., who helps both farmers and ranchers respond to natural disaster, says that while big farm corporations might see profits this year because of high crop prices and insurance claims, the 100 to 200 acre family-sized farms won’t.

“Most of the farmers I know buy bare minimum coverage to cover out-of-pocket expenses — just enough to keep going next year,” he said, adding that a quarter of the 700 farmers he assists in his area do not buy any insurance at all. Those farmers say they still cannot afford the premiums, even with the government subsidy, Redman said.

Bush has paid into the program for over a decade and has never qualified to collect a claim on his losses, though he expects to this year. He says his share of the annual premium is roughly $30,000. He has lost over $140,000 to drought on his corn harvest.

In the 1930s, farmers raised livestock and grew crops side by side — and he says federal policy still reflects that business model.

“Up until the 1990s, most farmers both tended livestock and grew crops,” Hurt said. “Now we have a model dominated by specialized, industrial-scale corporations, but our policy is stuck in the ‘Old MacDonald had a farm’ model. It’s time to rethink.”