Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 9/12/2023
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources announced that the Natural Disaster Recovery Program for Agriculture is now open for farmers to apply.
The program will provide relief for farmers who have been impacted by the three major natural disaster events that occurred across 2023, including the deep freeze in February, the frost in May and the incessant rainfall and floods from July. $20 million in total will be allocated to the impacted farmers.
“I am tremendously grateful that the Legislature is coming to the aid of our farmers in strong partnership with the Healey-Driscoll administration,” said state Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “This unprecedented funding, coupled with the Farm Resiliency Fund stood up by the administration, will be out the door in record time thanks to the Legislature’s quick work and the leadership of the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources.”
The $20 million was officially introduced at a press conference at 27 South St. in Hatfield on July 24 by Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland), who joined farmers and other legislators for the announcement.
The money was presented after weeks of flooding decimated farms across Central and Western Massachusetts.
“As we’ve seen, the flooding in this region has just been catastrophic,” Spilka said during the announcement. “To say it is once in a generation may not even be appropriate.”
During that event, Jay Savage, a fourth-generation farmer from Savage Farms in Deerfield, said that his farm has lost 150 acres of land due to the extreme weather.
“The biggest problem is looking toward the near future of what our quality is going to be this year and all the problems this rain is causing,” Savage said. “We’re looking at quality problems now that are actually, that are causing me to question whether we have a marketable crop, and that scares the hell out of me.”
Farmer Bernie Smiarowski said that excessive rain has caused irreparable damage to crops and added that the long-term effects on the land may be even more severe due to disease caused by flooding.
“We hate being in this position, at the worst of a natural disaster, losing all or a portion of our crops this year, unable to pay our bills,” Smiarowski said. “The last thing we want is to have to sell a portion of our farm to make ends meet.”
Smiarowski added that many farms are already carrying large amounts of debt, now exacerbated by the recent floods.
“This aid package will assist all of us by providing financial resources without additional debt,” Smiarowski said.
Farmers can apply for the money by visiting this link: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/natural-disaster-recovery-ndr-program-for-agriculture. They must provide information regarding the extent of their losses. Applications for the money close on Sept. 29.
“Thank you to the Legislature for working with the administration to make the funds available for this program, less than two months after the historic floods,” said Winton Pitcoff, the deputy commissioner of MDAR. “These resources will help sustain Massachusetts farms so they may continue their important roles as contributors to the commonwealth’s food security, local economy and efforts to combat climate change.”