Dear Friends,

Since last week, the Connecticut River Valley has been decimated by severe flooding. Many farms in our region have lost hundreds of acres of crops and people have been put out of work, leaving families and farmers feeling uncertain about their future.  

I’m leading the Connecticut delegation in Washington in support of a Disaster Declaration from the Department of Agriculture, which will unlock emergency relief in the form of loans. These loans can be helpful and necessary to forge forward in the face of a natural disaster, but more must be done. This flooding is just another example of the real ramifications that climate change has on our communities and economy.  

I recognize existing federal programs will not be enough to meet the needs many of our local farmers have to get back on their feet. I have begun working with the Biden Administration and my colleagues in Congress to pursue broader relief for our historic New England farms. On Monday, I met with farmers and community leaders at Killam & Bassette Farmstead in Glastonbury to discuss my efforts to secure more meaningful financial assistance from the federal government for local growers. You can view my remarks below. 

Upon a USDA Disaster Designation, Emergency and Operating Loans will be made available to help producers recover from production and physical losses. As we fight for a disaster declaration and broader relief, there are several resources farmers can take advantage of right now at the state and federal level:  

• Through the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund, small business owners, including farmers, can borrow up to $500,000 in flexible funding, depending on eligibility and need, to support equipment, payroll, utilities, renovations, and other expenses. Learn more at CTSmallBusinessBoostFund.org.
• There are coverage options from the Department of Agriculture farmers can enroll in to manage risk when disaster strikes. Learn more about these programs here. For more information on federal assistance options, you can also contact the Farm Service Agency’s Windsor Service Center at 860-688-7725, or the Torrington Service Center at 860-626-8852.
• Connecticut Foodshare is participating in the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which is funding their current efforts to purchase foods from local producers to support the local agriculture supply chain and provide food banks and other organizations serving underserved communities with CT Grown products.
• CTFarmStressRelief.com offers mental health resources for farmers and farming families. For immediate crisis help, you can call or text the AgriStress Helpline at 1-833-897-2474.  

You can find a complete list of disaster relief resources from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture here. To follow what I’m working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram.     

Regards,

John B. Larson
Member of Congress