Here is some very timely information for farmers on what they need to do to prepare for a hurricane hit to their farms in advance of any threatening weather. It was published in the Florida Land Steward Newsletter this past Friday by Christopher Demers at the University of Florida.
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GET YOUR FARM RECORDS COMPLETED NOW TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR USDA HURRICANE RECOVERY ASSISTANCE
Storm season is here. As a part of your hurricane preparation activities, you should have your farm records completed with USDA Farm Service Agency. Within weeks of a major storm or other disaster, recovery assistance for agricultural producers and landowners will likely be authorized. The USDA Farm Service Agency administers several disaster recovery programs aimed at providing financial assistance to farmers and landowners in order for them to clean up debris, replant crops and trees, replace damaged equipment and infrastructure, and implement other recovery activities.
This part is really important: If you have not worked with USDA before, you will need to make an appointment with the Farm Service Agency at your local USDA Service Center to complete some forms and ensure your eligibility when assistance programs become available. Get this step done now if you haven’t yet. For more information about getting started with USDA see https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us.
Find your local USDA Service Center here.
