Minnesota's local farm and home mutual since 1892. Recently expanded statewide in 2024 — strong appetite for farms, rural properties, and homes that the traditional market passes by.
Bird Island-Hawk Creek Mutual Insurance Company has been protecting Minnesota farms and homes since 1892 — 133 years of continuous operation from the same address in Bird Island, Minnesota. That's not just a founding date; it's a statement about stability, community, and commitment to the clients they serve. Bird Island is a statewide mutual insurance company chartered under Minnesota Statute 66A, meaning it is owned by its policyholders. In 2024, Bird Island expanded from a 20-county area in central Minnesota to full statewide availability — a significant development that makes their farm and home products accessible across all of Minnesota.
Bird Island's product lineup covers homeowners, mobile homeowners, farmowners, and farm liability insurance — the full range of property and liability products for Minnesota's farm and rural home market. Their appetite for farms and rural properties is genuinely broad, with underwriting that understands the specific risk profile of agricultural operations, outbuildings, farm equipment exposure, and rural property characteristics that standard market carriers either decline or price aggressively.
Tom Wertish grew up in Bird Island and has a personal connection to this carrier — it's headquartered in his hometown. His relationship with Bird Island goes beyond a standard carrier appointment. He knows the team, understands their underwriting approach, and has seen firsthand how their small-team service model treats policyholders differently from large national carriers. For Minnesota farmers and rural homeowners who have found the traditional market either unwilling or uncompetitive, Bird Island is a genuine alternative that the big carriers simply can't replicate.
What makes Bird Island the right choice for Minnesota farm and rural property clients.
Bird Island's appetite for farms and rural properties is the primary reason Tom reaches for them. Standard market carriers increasingly find farm and rural property challenging — older outbuildings, farm equipment exposure, variable occupancy, and the specific liability profile of agricultural operations create friction in standard homeowners underwriting. Bird Island's entire business model is built around this exact market. Their underwriters understand farm risk because they've been writing it for 133 years.
Beyond farms, Bird Island competes for rural homes that the traditional market treats as marginal risks — older rural homes, properties in small towns, mobile homes, and residences with agricultural outbuildings. For clients in these situations who are tired of being declined or facing aggressive pricing from national carriers, Bird Island's Minnesota-focused underwriting often produces better outcomes. They're not applying a national risk model to a Minnesota farm; they're applying Minnesota farm experience to a Minnesota farm.
Bird Island is a small company with a small team. Tom's experience with them is that this translates directly into how clients are treated — real people who know their policyholders, answer the phone, and handle service with personal accountability rather than call center scripting. For clients who have been frustrated by the impersonal service of large national carriers, Bird Island's local, relationship-based approach is a meaningful difference. They really care about their customers.
Bird Island's 2024 expansion from a 20-county mutual to a statewide carrier significantly expands where Options Insurance can offer their products. Previously limited to central Minnesota, Bird Island can now serve farm and rural home clients anywhere in the state. For Options Insurance clients across greater Minnesota — from the Iron Range to the southern border — Bird Island is now a viable market where it wasn't before 2024.
Bird Island is a policyholder-owned mutual insurance company — no shareholders, no quarterly earnings pressure, no private equity exit strategy. Just a company owned by its members that has been serving Minnesota farms and homes since 1892. That organizational model produces different incentives: Bird Island's success depends entirely on how well they serve their policyholders. 133 years of continuous operation in the same community is the proof of concept.
No carrier is perfect. Here are the honest trade-offs to know about Bird Island.
Bird Island is a Minnesota-only carrier. For clients with out-of-state properties, we use other carriers. Their expertise is calibrated specifically to Minnesota farm and rural home risk.
Bird Island is a small mutual without an AM Best rating. For clients whose lenders require AM Best-rated carriers, Bird Island may not qualify. Tom reviews lender requirements before placement.
Bird Island writes farm and home property and liability — not commercial auto, workers comp, or most commercial lines. They're one piece of a broader coverage program for commercial clients.
Here's who belongs with Bird Island — Minnesota farm and rural property clients the traditional market overlooks.
"Bird Island is headquartered in my hometown and I know the team personally. Their appetite for farms and rural properties really helps offer competitive insurance solutions to those that the traditional markets may neglect as outside of their appetite. They really care about their customers — and as a statewide carrier now, they can serve clients anywhere in Minnesota."
— Tom Wertish, President, Options Insurance, Options Insurance
Already a Bird Island-Hawk Creek Mutual client through Options Insurance? Here are the resources you need.
Bird Island's direct line — a small team that handles claims personally. For farm and rural property claims, Tom can also help coordinate directly with the Bird Island team given his long relationship with the company.
351 E. Highway 212, Bird Island, MN 55310. Small team, direct access — you're talking to the people who manage your policy. Tom manages Bird Island relationships directly for all placements.
Bird Island's website — coverage information, contact details, and agent finder. Now statewide, agents across Minnesota can access their farm and home products.
Options Insurance is one of Bird Island's appointed agents. Tom Wertish manages all Bird Island placements for Options Insurance clients across Minnesota.
Tom is President of Options Insurance and the primary Bird Island placement agent — a carrier headquartered in his hometown of Bird Island, MN. He knows the team, trusts the product, and has seen their small-team approach treat policyholders with genuine care. "Their appetite for farms and rural properties helps offer competitive solutions to those the traditional market may neglect."
Tell us a little about what you need. One of our agents will follow up — usually same business day.
No obligation. We'll find the right Bird Island solution for your Minnesota farm or rural property.
We'll assess your farm or rural property and confirm Bird Island is the right fit for your Minnesota coverage needs.
Start Your Free Quote →The opinions expressed on this page reflect the experience of Options Insurance agents based on policies placed and client feedback received over 15 years. Individual results may vary. Options Insurance is appointed with Bird Island-Hawk Creek Mutual Insurance Company as an independent agent. This review is not sponsored, approved, or endorsed by Bird Island-Hawk Creek Mutual. AM Best, J.D. Power, and NAIC data are sourced from publicly available reports and are cited for informational purposes. Ratings are subject to change. Bird Island-Hawk Creek Mutual Insurance Company is a statewide mutual insurance company chartered under Minnesota Statute 66A, headquartered in Bird Island, MN. Coverage available in Minnesota only. Bird Island does not carry an AM Best financial strength rating. Comparison data is based on publicly available third-party research. Coverage availability and terms vary by state, risk profile, and underwriting criteria. This page does not constitute a coverage guarantee or binding commitment.