On December 3, Gov. Tom Wolf notified farmland owners in Columbia, Lebanon, and York counties that they are eligible to receive disaster relief funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Also eligible are the adjacent counties of Adams, Berk, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, and Sullivan.

“This funding will provide relief to Pennsylvania farmers who dealt with a year of unexpected difficulties due to severe weather,” said Gov. Wolf. “I encourage those in eligible areas to apply, so that they can receive the assistance they need to help recoup losses ahead of the next growing season.”

The funding will help with losses caused by disasters that occurred during the 2018 crop year, such as excessive rain and flash flooding. It is the result of a Secretarial disaster declaration and can include emergency loans from the federal Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Eligible farmers can apply for loans for up to eight months after a Secretarial disaster declaration, and should contact their local FSA office for assistance.

More information on USDA’s disaster assistance program, including county lists and maps, can be found on USDA’s Disaster Assistance Programs webpage.

NewsClips:

Wolf: Luzerne County Farmers May Be Eligible For Federal Disaster Funding

CBF-PA: Farm Conservation Plans Are Important, But Farmers Struggle To Implement Those Plans

Lancaster Farming: Stream Buffers Make Financial Sense

EDF Blog: New Resource Available To Help Dairy Industry Clean Up Local Watersheds

Thompson: Project To Limit Harmful Run-Off From Turkey Hill Supplier Farms Gets Boost

Crable: Farmers, Groups, Turkey Hill To Get $6.5M In Water Quality Funding

DEP Blog: Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities: Lancaster County’s Watershed Planning

Westmoreland Farmer Grows Ag Legacy As State Industry Leader

PASA: Exploring Connections Between Soil Health & Nutrition At Blackberry Meadows Farm

PASA: Too Much Of A Good Thing: Compost Brings Phosphorus Challenges To Red Earth Farm

PASA: Stuck In A Rut: Stagnant Organic Matter Levels At Bending Bridge Farm

[Posted: Dec. 3, 2018]

12/10/2018