This year, heavy rainfall, flooding, and unfavorable weather events have presented challenging conditions for farmers and agricultural businesses. Last week, Governor Lamont, Congressman Larson, and a number of state representatives visited South Glastonbury to witness, firsthand, the significant flooding affecting our farming community.
During the press conference, state officials announced the launch of a website through which farmers can access resources and information about financial assistance programs. Most notably, the website has a link through which farmers can report estimated or actual losses resulting from heavy rainfall and flooding during the month of July 2023. Data collected through the Crop Loss Reporting tool will help determine if another disaster declaration will be made on the state level. Such action would support financial assistance programs; therefore, farmers are encouraged to submit their loss reports as soon as possible.
To access the Crop Loss Report form:
- Visit www.ctgrown.gov – this will direct you to the main Department of Agriculture web page
- Under the “Featured Links” heading, click on “Disaster Relief Resources”
- On the subsequent page, click the link for “Reporting Losses” from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen
- Click the blue button that reads “Report July 2023 Crop Loss” to open the fillable form
Alternatively, the form can be accessed directly by visiting https://www.cognitoforms.com/CTDoAg/_2023GrowerCropLossReportJuly
When completing the form, the Department of Agriculture advises farmers to “assess damages field by field and crop by crop” and to direct any questions to the local Farm Service Agency Office (USDA).
The Town and state realize that the recent weather and the uncertainty of the farming industry can greatly influence the mental health of agricultural business owners. To that end, the state also hosts a website through which farmers can access mental health resources, available at www.ctfarmstressrelief.com. For individuals without internet access, the AgriStress Helpline is available by call or text at (833) 897-2474.
Glastonbury farmers are encouraged to utilize these state resources and report their estimated losses now to help drive future state action.
Despite the recent weather, our local farmers are resilient, and continue to provide locally grown produce, meats, and goods to our community. Glastonbury residents are encouraged to support the local farming network by visiting each of the individual farms and farm stands throughout the year, as well as the Glastonbury Farmers Market, which is held at the Hubbard Green from June through September. See website links below for more details and thank you in advance for supporting our farmers!
Source : glastonburyct.gov