Whitworth Horn and Goetten Insurance Agency

Farm & commercial

Farm and commercial insurance for Jersey & Greene County.

Whether you run a working farm or a Main Street business, we shop many top-rated carriers to right-size your coverage. One local agent, more of the market, and no captive company deciding what you can and can’t buy.

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Two operations, one local agent

A national quote engine misses what a farm actually carries.

A working farm is not a house with a big yard. Grain bins, machine sheds, planters, combines, hired-help exposure, and farm liability are risks a national call center rarely gets right. A Main Street shop has its own gaps: general liability, the delivery truck, the people on payroll, the building and what is inside it.

Both come down to the same question: who is going to size this coverage correctly and shop it for you. As an independent agency we are appointed with many top-rated carriers, so we can compare several companies and place your farm or business with the one that fits. A captive agent works for one company and can only sell that company. When the premium is the same either way, seeing more of the market is the whole advantage.

The stakes are real once there is a payroll involved. According to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, nearly every employer with employees in Illinois is required to carry workers' compensation coverage, and a gap there can put the whole business on the hook. We make sure the farm or shop is covered where the law and the lender expect it to be.

We have been insuring farms and businesses across Jersey County and Greene County since 1977. We are the folks you see at the Jersey County Business Association, not a voice reading a script in another state. We understand how a rural operation and a small-town business actually run, because we live here too.

What we cover

The farm and the business, each covered the right way.

Two different operations with two different sets of risk. Here is what we pull together for each, shopped across many carriers to fit what you actually run.

For the working farm

  • Farm buildings, barns, machine sheds, and grain bins
  • Your dwelling and outbuildings on the operation
  • Machinery and equipment: tractors, planters, combines
  • Farm liability that protects the whole operation
  • Farm auto for trucks, trailers, and road-driven equipment
  • Workers comp for hired and seasonal help

For the Main Street business

  • General liability for your work and your customers
  • Commercial property: the building and what is inside it
  • Business auto for company trucks and vehicles
  • Workers comp to protect you and your crew
  • Coverage sized to your trade, contractor to retail shop
  • One local agent to review it all at renewal

Why independent matters here

Same premium. More companies. One agent working for you.

A captive agent

Works for one insurance company and can only offer that company’s policies. If their carrier misses a farm exposure or prices your business out of the market, they cannot move you. Four of the nearest agencies to Jerseyville are captive, so one company is all they can put in front of you.

An independent agency

We are appointed with many top-rated carriers, so we shop your farm or business across several companies and place it where it fits best. You get more of the market and a local agent who reviews it every year, all at the same premium the company would charge anyway.

The bottom line An agent cannot legally undercut the company’s rate, so price is not where the choice is. The choice is how much of the market you see and who picks up the phone when a barn burns or a claim gets complicated. That is where an independent local agency earns its keep.

Farm & commercial questions

Answers before you call.

What does farm insurance cover in Illinois?
A farm policy in Illinois usually bundles your dwelling and farm buildings (barns, machine sheds, grain bins), your machinery and equipment, and farm liability into one package, and you can add farm auto and workers comp for hired help. Every operation is different, so we build the coverage around your acres, your buildings, and how you actually run the place.
How much does small business liability insurance cost in Illinois?
It varies a lot. The premium for a small business general liability policy in Illinois depends on your trade, your revenue, your payroll, and the coverage limits you carry, so a Main Street shop and a contractor pay very different rates. Rather than quote a made-up number, we shop several companies and bring you real prices. Call (618) 498-5508 for a quote on your business.
What is the difference between an independent agent and a captive agent?
A captive agent works for one insurance company and can only sell that company’s policies. An independent agency like Whitworth Horn and Goetten is appointed with many top-rated carriers, so we shop your farm or business across several companies and place it with the one that fits best. The premium is the same either way. The difference is how much of the market you get to see.
Do you insure both farms and small businesses in Jersey and Greene County?
Yes. We write farm and ranch coverage for working operations across Jersey and Greene County, and we write commercial coverage for Main Street businesses in Jerseyville, Carrollton, and the surrounding towns. Same local agents, same phone number. We have been insuring farms and businesses on this ground since 1977. Call (618) 498-5508 to talk it through.

Let’s right-size your farm and business coverage.

Call and tell us about your farm or your business, or send a note and we will call you back. We will shop several companies, walk the numbers with you, and place it where it fits. No runaround, no pressure.

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Jerseyville & Carrollton, Illinois · Serving Jersey and Greene County since 1977

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