News

Published on: 3/26/2019

Gov. Tom Wolf's administration on Monday notified farmland owners in 61 Pennsylvania counties, including York, that they are eligible for disaster relief assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture.

This past summer was particularly challenging for farmers as many heavy rains saturated the ground and caused devastating damages around York County.

“Statewide disaster relief assistance is a vital resource that helps farmers overcome challenges caused by unpredictable weather and conditions outside of their control,” Wolf said. “The past year was particularly challenging for Pennsylvania agriculture, so I encourage all eligible producers to apply for this assistance ahead of the next growing season.”

York County is one of many eligible primary counties, including Adams, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Northampton, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Susquehanna, Washington, Westmoreland and Wyoming counties.

Eligible contiguous counties include Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Clarion, Cumberland, Dauphin, Forest, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, and Wayne counties.

The statewide disaster funding will help with losses caused by the extended rainfall that occurred during the 2018 crop year. It is the result of a Secretarial disaster declaration and can include emergency loans from the federal Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Eligible farmers can apply for loans for up to eight months after a Secretarial disaster declaration, and should contact their local FSA office for assistance. More information on USDA’s disaster assistance program, including county lists and maps, can be found here.