Disaster Relief for Farmers

Rep. Larson discusses state and federal efforts to help farmers impacted by flooding in the Connecticut River Valley.

The Connecticut River Valley was decimated by severe flooding this summer. Many farms have lost hundreds of acres of crops and people have been put out of work, leaving families and farmers feeling uncertain about their future.

Rep. Larson led the Connecticut delegation in Washington in support of a Disaster Declaration from the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which unlocked emergency relief in the form of loans. These loans can be helpful and necessary to forge forward in the face of a natural disaster, but more must be done. This flooding is just another example of the real ramifications that climate change has on our communities and economy.

Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. The Farm Service Agency considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator. To learn more and apply for an emergency loan, click here.

Existing federal programs will not be enough to meet the needs many of our local farmers have to get back on their feet. Rep. Larson is working with the Biden Administration and his colleagues in Congress to pursue broader relief for historic New England farms.

Through the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund, small business owners, including farmers, can borrow up to $500,000 in flexible funding, depending on eligibility and need, to support equipment, payroll, utilities, renovations, and other expenses. Learn more at CTSmallBusinessBoostFund.org.
There are coverage options from the Department of Agriculture farmers can enroll in to manage risk when disaster strikes. Learn more about these programs here. For more information on federal assistance options, you can also contact the Farm Service Agency’s Windsor Service Center at 860-688-7725, or the Torrington Service Center at 860-626-8852.
Connecticut Foodshare is participating in the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which is funding their current efforts to purchase foods from local producers to support the local agriculture supply chain and provide food banks and other organizations serving underserved communities with CT Grown products.
CTFarmStressRelief.com offers mental health resources for farmers and farming families. For immediate crisis help, you can call or text the AgriStress Helpline at 1-833-897-2474.

Additional information on the USDA's Disaster Assistance Program can be found at farmers.gov/recover. You can find a complete list of disaster relief resources from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture here.