Latest news with #CooperativeExtension
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
USDA extends deadline for Helene-damaged farms in Western NC to apply for funds
ASHEVILLE - The United States Department of Agriculture extended two critical cost-share programs to help Western North Carolina farmers recover from Tropical Storm Helene, the agency announced June 13. After Helene swept through the state, bringing historic flooding that battered farms in low-lying river valleys, Henderson County's agriculture community alone lost between $135 to $150 million, Cooperative Extension Director Terry Kelley estimated in January. A recent report from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, an Asheville-based nonprofit, showed 86% of 300 surveyed farmers experienced damage to their operations in WNC and 70% to their land or waterways. The average recovery cost, it said, was $40,000. Now, the USDA through its Farm Service Agency is extending the deadline to Aug. 4 for local growers and nonindustrial private forestland owners to apply for assistance through two programs: The Emergency Conservation Program and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program. Here are some details from the USDA on how to apply and who is eligible. The Emergency Conservation Program, administered by the Farm Service Agency, offers financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to repair and restore farmland impacted by natural disasters, including hurricanes. The program helps farmers and ranchers "rehabilitate damaged land, restore agricultural production, and prevent further environmental degradation," according to the agency's website. Approved practices include: debris removal from farmland grading, shaping and releveling permanent fence restoration restoration of conservation practices emergency soil erosion control measures dairy relocation field windbreaks and farmstead shelterbelt restoration Farmers who apply and are approved for the program can receive up to 75% of the cost of these restorations, according to a USDA news release. The maximum cost share is $500,000. Local growers can receive advanced payments up to 25% of the cost before the restoration is completed. These payments must be spent within 60 days, the release said. Helene's impact on local agriculture: Few relief options for Henderson County farmers — local growers face $135 million loss Any farmer or rancher who has suffered damage to their farmland due to a natural disaster is eligible for the program, according to USDA's website. Producers who lease federally owned or managed lands, including tribal trust land, are also eligible. The damage must "significantly impair the land's agricultural productivity or pose a threat to land or water resources," the website says. The program is for restoring farmland to pre-disaster conditions. Conservation concerns on the land that predate the natural disaster are not covered. Helene's impact on small WNC farms: 'Our farm wiped off map from Helene:' ASAP reports impact to small Western NC farmers To apply for the conservation program, producers must submit a request for assistance to their local Farm Service Agency office. The process includes a damage assessment, documentation of the disaster impact, and a description of the proposed conservation measures. To expedite approval, FSA has waived the need for on-site inspection for all non-engineering work. Find the closest Farm Service Agency office in WNC at The Emergency Forest Restoration Program helps non-industrial private forest owners restore forest health damaged by natural disasters, according to USDA's website. To qualify, the private forest must have tree coverage that existed before the natural disaster. Helene damage must harm the natural resources on the land and significantly affect future land use if not remedied. Unlike the conservation program for farmers, payments are not provided upfront. Up to 75% of the cost to implement emergency conservation practices can be provided, however the final amount is determined by the committee reviewing the application, according to the website. The maximum cost share is $500,000 per person for a single natural disaster. The land must be owned or leased by a nonindustrial private person or entity to qualify. Approved disaster recovery includes: debris removal, such as down or damaged trees, to establish a new stand or provide for natural regeneration site preparation, planting materials and labor to replant forest stand restoration of forestland roads, fire lanes, fuel breaks or erosion control structures fencing, tree shelters and tree tubes to protect trees from wildlife damage wildlife enhancement to provide cover openings and wildlife habitat To expedite the process, the USDA has waived the requirement for owners to get approval before conducting debris removal, fence repair and hazard tree removal. To participate in the program, the restorations must meet USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service or state forest agency standards. Forestland owners must also keep records of all restoration costs, including personal labor. Owners should check with their local FSA office to find out about program sign-up periods. More: 190,000 acres of Forest Service land impacted by Helene: What's the plan for downed trees? More: Federal spending cuts kill "massive" plan to plant 10,000 trees in Hendersonville Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@ and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: USDA extends deadline for Helene-damaged farms in Western NC
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pitt County Cooperative Extension to host annual plant sale
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — The Pitt County Cooperative Extension's annual plant sale will take place Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the Pitt County Arboretum. More than 60 local master gardeners will be selling their goods and raising money for the Master Garden Program. 'Master Gardeners are volunteers for Cooperative Extension, and they help us educate the public on gardening and landscape concepts and maintain the beautiful gardens at our county arboretum,' Pitt County Cooperative Extension Service member Matt Stevens said. 'The plant sale is the biggest fundraiser to support that activity and to make enhancements and additions to the gardens.' The sale features locally grown fruits, vegetables, pottery, outdoor decor and more. They only accept cash or checks. Funds from the event will help support the Arboretum year-round. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New ag ordinance can benefit county's smaller farms
Feb. 25—Lee County commissioners are being asked to adopt a new agricultural ordinance that would update the current law and offer more options for small farming opportunities. A public hearing on the proposal was held Monday at the commissioners' meeting where Bill Stone, director of the Lee County Extension Center, explained the changes in the updated ordinance. The Lee County Voluntary Agriculture District Ordinance was adopted in 2013, creating a partnership between the county and landowners who were looking to protect and preserve farmlands. However, after reviewing the changes allowed under the General Assembly's Farm Act of 2021, the Cooperative Extension staff recommended a new plan — the Agricultural and Farmland Preservation Ordinance. "It's a positive way to promote agriculture," Stone said. Three main changes are included in the proposed plan. One is eliminating the Agriculture Advisory Board-required membership based on districts. Under the current ordinance, the districts are basically designated through townships, which Stone called "antiquated." "What we found is that it restricted and kind of limited the pool of volunteer folks to serve on the board," he said. The proposed ordinance will continue to focus on Voluntary Agricultural Districts and include the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts. The EVAD ordinance requires a 10-year irrevocable agreement but would allow participating landowners to receive up to 25% of gross sales of non-farm products and still qualify as a bona fide farm under state law. Participants are also given priority in agricultural grants and cost-share program. Landowners in the EVAD are also eligible for agricultural state grants and cost-share programs. The proposed ordinance also drops the minimum acreage requirements from five acres to one acre for production of horticultural or agricultural purposes to qualify as a state bona fide farm. "We are finding more and more consistently over the last five or 10 years. There's been a huge influx in small farms in Lee County," Stone said. "What we have is that having that five-acre minimum can be very restrictive, certainly for some of our small farmers, especially for those folks that have demonstrated they can be profitable on small acreage," he said. By lowering the minimum acreage from five to one, "we anticipate we'll see a lot more people participating which will be good for the county and the farmland and promoting the viability of agriculture," Stone said.
