Illinois PRF Insurance. Protect Your Pasture & Forage.
PRF is a federally subsidized rainfall index insurance program that protects your Illinois grazing and haying acres when precipitation drops below normal — particularly valuable for southern Illinois livestock and forage operations.
Southern Illinois Forage Needs Protection. PRF Delivers It.
Illinois — particularly the southern half of the state — has a significant livestock and forage industry. When summer rainfall drops below average, pasture quality declines, hay yields shrink, and producers face the costly choice of buying replacement feed or reducing their herds.
PRF insurance uses a NOAA rainfall index to trigger payments when precipitation in your Illinois grid falls below the historical average. It's area-based — meaning payments are determined by your grid's precipitation, not individual production records. No claim filing required. Coverage is available in all 102 Illinois counties.
Illinois producers with pasture and hay operations can use PRF to protect against forage losses during dry periods. Southern Illinois — where livestock and forage production is most concentrated — stands to benefit the most from rainfall-based coverage.
Get an Illinois PRF Quote →No rain in Illinois? No problem.
PRF insurance pays you when rainfall drops below average in your Illinois grid — protecting your forage investment when Mother Nature falls short. Federally subsidized. Surprisingly affordable.
Get a Free Quote →660-665-1687 · 660-754-1000
PRF Coverage Through Brawner
PRF is an area-based rainfall index insurance program — here's how the key components work together to protect your Missouri forage production.
Rainfall Index
PRF uses NOAA Climate Prediction Center data to measure precipitation across approximately 17×17-mile grids covering all 102 Illinois counties. Payments trigger when the rainfall index in your grid drops below your selected coverage level — not based on your individual production.
Grazing Acreage
For Illinois grazing operations — concentrated in southern Illinois — the livestock producer has the insurable interest in the forage. Coverage helps offset the cost of replacement feed when low rainfall reduces pasture productivity and stocking capacity.
Haying Acreage
Illinois hay producers, especially in the southern counties, depend on consistent rainfall. For haying operations, the financial interest in the hay crop is insured similar to other crops. PRF was designed for producers who don't keep detailed hay records — payments are index-based.
Index Intervals
Choose at least two 2-month periods when precipitation is most critical to your Illinois operation — like March–April and May–June. Southern Illinois operations often prioritize spring and early summer intervals for forage growth.
Coverage Levels (70–90%)
Select a coverage level from 70% to 90% in 5% increments. This establishes your trigger — the rainfall index must fall below this level for your interval to trigger an indemnity payment. Higher coverage = earlier trigger.
Productivity Factor (60–150%)
Customize your protection by adjusting the county base value from 60% to 150%. Higher productivity factors increase your per-acre protection — ideal for highly productive Illinois pasture and hay ground.
NOAA CPC Grid System
Each grid is approximately 17×17 miles. Your Illinois acreage is assigned to one or more grids based on location. Precipitation is interpolated to the grid using nearby reporting stations — it's not measured by a single gauge on your property.
Federal Premium Subsidy
The federal government subsidizes 51%–59% of your PRF premium depending on coverage level. At 70–75%, you get a 59% subsidy. At 90%, the subsidy is 51%. This makes PRF one of the most affordable risk management tools for Illinois producers.
Let's build your PRF policy.
We help you select the right intervals, coverage level, and productivity factor for your Illinois grazing or haying operation.
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