CISA Reopens Emergency Farm Fund In Response To Pandemic’s Impact On Agriculture

WAMC, April 4, 2020, Paul Tutill

Farmers in western Massachusetts who have lost business because of the coronavirus pandemic can apply for no interest loans from a nonprofit organization.

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) opened its Emergency Farm Fund for applications on April 1st and hopes to have checks in the mail by May 1st, according to Executive Director Phil Korman.

” We are not taking the place of the federal government or state government, that is a huge role they need to always play, but we can play the short term turnaround providing quick resources to farms,” said Korman.

He said farms have lost substantial business because of the closures of college dining centers, restaurants and farmers’ markets.

The fund was created following the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and has been used four times since – all for weather-related calamities.