Feds Approve CT Farmers For Elsa Disaster Relief

CONNECTICUT — The federal government has approved for Connecticut to receive an agriculture disaster declaration as a result of damages caused by Tropical Storm Elsa in early July.

Gov. Ned Lamont said he received word from U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday that the state's request had been approved.

The declaration means that farmers in the state are eligible to be considered for certain disaster assistance from the Farm Service Agency to cover production losses from the storm, such as emergency loans, provided that eligibility requirements are met. While only six of Connecticut’s eight counties are named as primary counties in the declaration – including Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New London, Tolland, and Windham – Fairfield and New London are named as contiguous disaster counties, making all farmers statewide eligible.

"Farm owners are small business owners, and not only do they employ a significant number of workers and generate economic activity, but they grow the food that we all rely on," Lamont said in a statement.

During Tropical Storm Elsa, the National Weather Service recorded wind speeds across Connecticut between 39 and 42 miles per hour, and rainfall between 1.5 to 5 inches. Additional thunderstorms in the days following further complicated the recovery, increasing the month of July’s rainfall totals between 104 percent to 382 percent across the state.

Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlbutt said the federal aid is timely as last year Connecticut farmers had been facing drought conditions, and this year has brought significant rainfall and flooding conditions, causing "significant" losses of food production and livestock crops.

Farmers will have eight months from the date of the secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. The Farm Service Agency considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.

Farmers interested in applying for the assistance must contact their local Farm Service Agency office.