Barry Zalma is an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud for both insurers and policyholders. Farmers, by nature, are hard-working, honest, and the salt of the earth. They simply do not have time to commit crimes. However, the government of the United States has created a government-supported insurance program that is as ancient as Sumeria when insurance policies were scratched on clay tablets. The gigantic fund of money available from the U.S. Government has tempted a few honest farmers to fund their retirement with crop insurance fraud. Crop insurance fraud is a serious temptation to farmers whose earnings are insufficient to cover their costs of doing business. Crop insurance fraud cases are rare, not because fraud with regard to crops is rare, but that prosecution is rare. The few cases referred to below indicate that there is a lack of funding for investigation, trial and conviction of crop insurance fraud.