Disaster Declaration In 7 MA Counties Means Help For Farmers

WORCESTER, MA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering help to farmers in Massachusetts whose crops were damaged or destroyed in recent heavy rain events, according to state and federal officials.

Strong rainstorms over the past few months have damaged about 110 farms, leading to some $15 million in losses, state Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle said this week.

In turn, the USDA declared a disaster in seven counties: Worcester, Berkshire, Bristol, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Norfolk. Farmers in those counties can access low-interest loans for storm cleanup, and get help refinancing existing loans at lower rates, according to federal officials.

The disaster declaration also applies to contiguous counties, opening up the loan programs to farmers in Middlesex County, as well as those in border counties in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

The USDA's Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) is also open to local farmers. The program provides funding for storm and debris cleanup.

Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday also signed a supplemental state budget that will provide $20 million to the state's agriculture industry to recover from storms. The money will be made available to farms through a grant program administered by the state Department of Agricultural Resources.