Better Sorted Than Sorry
What is ‘Better Sorted Than Sorry’?
Farming is built on resilience, experience and hard work but often it’s one small, overlooked moment that can cause  a huge loss. A worn bearing, gate left open, or a temporary fix that was left too long.
Better Sorted Than Sorry is a campaign focused on the everyday risks facing rural businesses throughout the farming calendar and, ultimately, encouraging farmers to take action before it’s too late. Across the year, we’ll explore the seasonal pressures and challenges that farms face – from machinery maintenance and fire prevention to livestock management, inspections, stress, and mental well-being.
Through practical guidance, seasonal advice, real claims stories, and risk management support, our campaign is designed to reflect the realities of modern farming and encourage preventative action before small issues become major problems.
Harvest Summer Safety
Harvest brings long hours, pressure and increased fire risk. Dust, heat, machinery wear and skipped checks can quickly escalate into devastating incidents. This month focuses on harvest fire prevention, machinery safety, fatigue awareness and practical ways to help reduce avoidable risks during one of the busiest times of year.
Next month, we focus on Preventing Claims – make sure you check back for more practical guidance and seasonal advice.
Harvest Summer Safety & Fire Prevention - Blog
Harvest Summer Safety & Fire Prevention - Blog
Harvest is one of the busiest and most demanding periods in the farming calendar. Long hours, tight weather windows, rising temperatures, machinery operating almost continuously, and the pressure to get crops safely in the shed all combine to increase risk.
Harvest Summer Safety & Fire Prevention - Checklist
Success Story – A Fire Weeks Before Harvest
Success Story – A Fire Weeks Before Harvest
During the summer of 2024, one of our farming clients faced a devastating loss when their combine and drill were destroyed in an unexpected fire. The fire, caused by a third-party vehicle that ignited while stored in the same shed, occurred just two weeks before the critical harvest season, placing our client in an incredibly challenging situation.
Success Story – When One Missed Step Changes Everything
Helping You Prevent Machinery Fires - Video
Helping You Prevent Fuel or Hazardous Material Fires - Video
Helping You Prevent Fuel or Hazardous Material Fires - Video
As the HSE have identified a list of items that commonly contribute to fuel and hazardous material fires on UK farms, we offer some practical risk management tips to help farmers prevent fuel or hazardous material fires and keep their farms protected.
Protecting our communities with rural insurance
Specialist cover
McClarrons has decades of experience arranging tailored rural insurance for farms, estates, and rural enterprises. By working with leading providers of agricultural insurance, we help to ensure every policy delivers real value and reliable protection. Clients can trust that their cover is carefully sourced, competitively priced, and backed by reputable insurers with proven expertise in the rural sector.
Suitable options
Our team of rural insurance brokers, many with personal ties to the farming community, provide clear advice and arrange policies designed to safeguard traditional farms, estates, smallholders, equestrian businesses and more. With their experience and expertise, they will explain the practical benefits and help you make informed decisions about your rural insurance.
Risk management
Through our experience and partners, we can assist you in reviewing your risk management to minimise risks, losses and claims, whilst also ensuring you have the right protection in place should an incident arise. Not only this, we can make recommendations to assist you in meeting your legal obligations regarding health & safety, engineering and electrical inspections, and more.
In-house claims support
You can benefit from our dedicated claims management service, provided by our team of claims advisors. When you need it most, we will be on hand to assist you in progressing any claim, dealing with third parties, loss adjustors and insurers on your behalf, working to get you a fair outcome. This means you can focus on running your farm or business.
Ready to protect your rural business?
Independent agricultural insurance advice
Since 1988, McClarrons has supported farms, estates and other rural businesses with insurance shaped around the realities of the agricultural sector. Originally established to serve the local farming community, the business has grown across the North of England while remaining focused on providing practical, independent guidance to rural clients.
Today, our specialist rural insurance team works with businesses of all sizes, helping them navigate the challenges facing modern farming – from extreme weather and machinery risks to diversification, compliance and changing legislation. As independent brokers, we are able to access a wide range of specialist insurers and recommend solutions based on the needs of you, our client.
Rural businesses are constantly adapting and their insurance protection should do the same.
Supporting rural communities beyond insurance
At McClarrons, we believe supporting rural businesses goes beyond arranging insurance policies. Alongside helping clients protect their farms, we also aim to provide practical guidance that helps reduce risk and improve resilience.
Through campaigns such as Better Sorted Than Sorry, alongside regular resources, articles, seminars and industry updates, we share advice on topics including seasonal farm risk, health & safety, inspections, claims prevention and other rural business challenges. By combining specialist insurance knowledge with practical risk management support, we aim to help farming and rural businesses stay informed, better prepared and protected against the unexpected.
Meet our rural insurance specialists
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Better Sorted Than Sorry campaign?
Better Sorted Than Sorry is a year-round rural risk management campaign created by McClarrons. The campaign focuses on the real seasonal risks facing farms and rural businesses, sharing practical guidance, claims insights, safety advice and preventative measures designed specifically for modern farming.
Why was the campaign created?
Farming businesses face constant pressure from weather, machinery breakdowns, livestock issues, compliance requirements, theft, fatigue and, often, financial uncertainty. The campaign was created to encourage preventative action and help businesses reduce the likelihood of avoidable incidents before they become costly claims or serious accidents.
Who is the campaign for?
The campaign is designed primarily for farmers but landowners, estates, contractors, and smallholders can all take useful guidance from it. Whether you manage livestock, arable operations, diversification projects or rural property, the content is intended to reflect the realities of working in the rural sector.
What type of content will be shared?
Throughout the year, the campaign will include:
- Seasonal safety guidance
- Risk management advice
- Real claims stories
- Checklists and other downloadable resources
- Videos
- Insurance and compliance guidance
- Mental health and wellbeing signposting
How often is the page updated?
The page is updated throughout the year in line with the farming calendar. Each month introduces a new focus alongside supporting articles, guidance and campaign resources.
Is the campaign only about insurance?
While insurance and claims prevention are part of the campaign, Better Sorted Than Sorry is primarily focused on reducing risk, improving awareness and supporting rural businesses in taking action before problems occur.