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July 2023 Flood Resources for Farmers
We will update this page as federal and state agencies determine losses and make resources available.
Reporting Damages – Farmers are encouraged to send damage reports to MDAR Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff Alisha Bouchard at alisha.bouchard@mass.gov and Director of Produce Safety Michael Botelho at michael.botelho@mass.gov, as well as to Sue Scheufele, Production Agriculture Leader, at UMass Extension Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, at sscheufele@umass.edu or (508) 397 3361. MA Farm Service Agency is also asking any affected producers to report flood damage to their local County Office.
Want to Help?
- Give directly to impacted farms
- Donate to CISA’s Emergency Farm Fund
- Donate to Massachusetts Farm Resiliency Fund
Financial Assistance
Natural Disaster Recovery (NDR) Program for Agriculture – Provides financial assistance to aid agricultural operations that were impacted by one or more of the 2023 Natural Disasters to rebuild and recover, with the aim of supporting job security, building resilience, and enabling future production. Applications are due by 4:00pm on Friday, September 29, 2023. See application assistance resources on CISA’s website here. Apply here.
MA Farm Resiliency Fund – Registration for this first round of funding for farms affected by July rains and flooding has closed. A second round of funding will open at a later date.
CISA’s Emergency Farm Fund – CISA, in partnership with the Franklin County CDC, is offering zero-interest loans of up to $25,000 for Massachusetts farms in Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties affected by fluctuating winter temperatures that killed peach buds in February, the deep freeze of May 18, and widespread flooding in July. Apply here.
Farm Service Agency Emergency Farm Loans – FSA offers loans to help producers who suffer qualifying farm related losses directly caused by the disaster in a county declared or designated as a primary disaster or quarantine area and farms located in counties that are contiguous to the declared, designated, or quarantined areas
Farm Credit East Cares Flood Assistance – Farm Credit East offers grants of up to $500 to farmers and forest products producers recovering from July flooding events. The donation is designed to help those most devastated by the disaster meet their most urgent agricultural and household needs. Depending on available funding, applications will be considered on a rolling basis until September 15.
Produce Safety & Crop Management Guidance
MDAR Produce Safety Technical Assistance and Guidance – provides guidance to growers on how to evaluate produce crops that are intended for human consumption but have been affected by flood waters.
Cornell Produce Safety Alliance – Food Safety for Flooded Farms – Guidance from the FDA and Cornell Extension Program on how to manage flood crops, keeping food safety in mind.
UNH Extension – Feeding Flooded Forages – explains what can be done to minimize the detrimental effects of rain in flooded forages.
UVM Extension – Managing Flood Damaged Crops and Forage – lists best management guidelines for harvesting, storing, and feeding flooded field and forage crops including corn, hay crops and pasture.
UVM Extension – Manage Food Damaged Corn – explains impact of wet conditions on corn development.
General Disaster Assistance
USDA Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool – helps farmers determine what programs/resources they may be eligible for.
USDA Emergency Conservation Program – provides resources for debris removal and cleanup of cropland.
USDA Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program – provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops to protect against natural disasters that result in lower yields or crop losses, or prevents crop planting.
Farm Aid Disaster Assistance for Farmers – guide to resources and tips for responding to disaster. Beginning and established farmers may call the Farm Aid Farmer Hotline and Farm Aid’s Farmer Services team will help connect you to relief and aid resources that match your needs.
Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets Flooding Resources Page – collection of resources providing guidance to farmers for responding to flooding and accessing state and federal support.