Schumer Stands at Cornell Cooperative and Calls for Rapid Turnaround from USDA for Disaster Assistance, for Dutchess County Farmers and Growers that Suffer Crop and Tree Damage

Press Release

Today, at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide swift relief to Dutchess County farmers and growers who suffer major crop damage from the extreme cold weather this winter through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) and be ready to approve a crop disaster declaration so emergency loans can be made available to eligible Dutchess County farmers and growers. Schumer will explain that the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) was just passed as part of the Farm Bill and can provide reimbursements to growers, like vineyards, who suffer extensive damage to their trees or vines as a result of extreme weather events, such as the Polar Vortex-induced freezing temperatures earlier this winter. Local Hudson Valley farmers are already reporting concerns about damage to grapevines, hop bines, alfalfa crowns, trees and shrubs; all of which are vulnerable to extremely cold temperatures. In addition, winter grains such as malting barley and cereal grains can be prone to snow mold. Schumer also urged the USDA to be prepared to approve a disaster declaration if crop damage is widespread and severe, so that emergency low-interest loans can be made available to farmers and growers who suffer extensive crop damage but not tree damage. Upstate New York farmers are beginning to assess damage now and will know the true extent of the damage in the Spring, at which point they will need a rapid turnaround of cash. Schumer is calling on federal agencies to mobilize resources well in advance so the USDA can deliver quick relief to impacted farmers and growers.

"New York is home to hundreds and hundreds of farms, vineyards, and orchards from the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes, and this year there is widespread concern that the extraordinarily cold winter could dramatically reduce their crop and that growers won't have the cash flow to replant. So, the U.S. Department of Agriculture must be on the ready in two key ways: first, by ensuring that direct reimbursements go out quickly to eligible growers with trunk and vine damage through the Tree Assistance Program that I fought to pass through the Farm Bill; and second, by preparing all resources to expeditiously approve a disaster declaration and assist farmers and growers in the process of reporting losses and damage to buds, seeds and trees. So now, with Spring and growing season on the horizon, the USDA needs to marshal its resources -- prime the TAP so to speak -- and be ready to provide swift relief to these farmers," said Schumer.

Schumer was joined by local farmers as well as Ruth Anne Moore, the Cornell Coop Executive Director and Mark Adams, the President of Dutchess County Farm Bureau and owner of the Adams Fairacre Farms, which produces berries, root vegetables, peppers and tomatoes among other produce.

The Polar Vortex brought record-low temperatures to many areas of Upstate New York, and subsequent warm spells led to drastic variations in temperature. The cold snap and the rapid temperature variations could result in major damage to crops in Dutchess County and throughout New York. In addition to cold damage, some crop diseases are expected to thrive in the colder temperatures, like crown gall. Local Hudson Valley farmers are already reporting concerns about damage to grapevines, hop bines, alfalfa crowns, trees and shrubs; all of which are vulnerable to extremely cold temperatures. In addition, winter grains such as malting barley and cereal grains can be prone to snow mold. For example, Clinton Vineyards in Clinton Corners is already aware of damage to their grapes. Scientists at Cornell University have already found significant bud damage in both test and commercial vineyards; in some studies, they found almost 50% of the buds were damaged by the cold. Following crop losses due to inclement weather and other natural disaster, growers often suffer from cash flow problems that impact their ability to replant quickly and also impact wine production for several years into the future.

Mark Adams, who joined Schumer at Cornell Cooperative Extension, is the president of the Dutchess, Putnam, and Westchester County chapters of the New York Farm Bureau and owner of Adams Fairacre Farms. Adams Fairacre Farms is a five-acre indoor/outdoor complex in Poughkeepsie--which began as a small family farm--but now supplies flowers, fruits, and vegetables to a number of farms, sanctuaries, campuses, and garden centers all over the country, as well as to all of the Adams Fairacre Farms stores in the Hudson Valley. Schumer highlighted that the two USDA programs he was pushing would help fruit and vegetable farms like Adams Fairacre Farms.

Therefore Schumer, concerned about the damage to Upstate New York farmers and growers, launched a two-pronged plan to help them in the event of major damages. First, Schumer touted the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), which expired in 2008 and is a provision of the just-passed Farm Bill, which provides reimbursements to eligible farms, vineyards or orchards who suffer extensive crop damage. Under the Tree Assistance Program, commercial orchardists, nursery growers or vineyards that lose their trees due to natural disaster are eligible for a 65% reimbursement of the cost of replanting. They are also eligible for a 50% reimbursement for pruning and removal. The total reimbursements are capped at $125,000 per year and 500 acres. Growers and farmers will need to work with their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to prepare the documentation for USDA disaster assistance. The USDA is responsible for approving and distributing such reimbursements.

Growers qualify for this reimbursement if they produce commercial, yearly crops from trees and if the tree mortality is over 15%. A natural disaster refers to drought, fire, freezing flood, plant disease, insect infestation, and other occurrences. The Tree Assistance Program will retroactively cover losses from 2012 and 2013. Schumer said this program could not only help growers recoup losses from 2012-2013, but should cover most Upstate vineyards moving forward this year. Schumer said these reimbursements are substantial and could mean the difference between a vineyard suffering huge losses and breaking even or turning a profit.

Second, Schumer is urging the USDA to approve a disaster declaration immediately if requested, so that emergency low-interest loans can be made available to growers who suffer extensive crop damage but not tree damage. Based on initial estimates, some growers are anticipating the need for a crop disaster declaration request; if approved by the USDA, growers in affected counties would be eligible for low-interest emergency loans which could help growers survive this year's damages. The threshold for a disaster declaration is damage to 30% of a single crop in a given county. Schumer underscored the importance of timing, saying growers facing a major loss of their product will need quick turnaround of emergency funds in order to begin replanting and stabilize their business this year. Schumer noted that the Administration has announced additional assistance to farmers in California who suffered an extended drought, and is pushing for the same considerations to be made for Northern growers in the wake of the cold snap. Therefore, Schumer is pressing the USDA to prepare resources in advance to be ready to help eligible farmers prepare the necessary documentation and get it approved, because a delay in processing could make or break these vineyards' year.

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