Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black along with Dr. David Bridges, Interim Director of Georgia's Rural Center and President of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), and Chuck Williams, Director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, gathered with those in the south Georgia area on Feb. 26, 2020, to share the news of the Hurricane Michael Farm Recovery Block Grants.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture and USDA reached an agreement to allocate $347 million in block grant funds to Georgia farmers and forest landowners affected by Hurricane Michael through a state-administered recovery program. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black and members of the Georgia Agriculture Recovery Taskforce came to ABAC to discuss key details about the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program.
Farmers that have suffered losses to infrastructure, timber, beef, dairy, poultry, fruit, vegetables or pecans due to Hurricane Michael will be eligible to enroll in Georgia’s Farm Recovery Block Grant. The Georgia Department of Agriculture will begin accepting applications for grants on March 18, 2020. Applications are due by April 8.
The enrollment process will take place entirely online at farmrecovery.com. Once the application opens, eligible producers should create an account to add required information and upload documents. Farmers in 95 counties are eligible.
Please monitor farmrecovery.com for more information on the application dates and deadlines. Applicants will be able to create an account on farmrecovery.com and log in to continue their application and submission of documents throughout the three-week enrollment period. All required documents must be scanned and uploaded to the online application. Mailed applications or documents will not be accepted. The application guide is available at farmrecovery.com.
In 2018, Georgia agriculture suffered a $2.5 billion economic loss from Hurricane Michael.
“While we recognize that the recovery aid won’t make Georgia farmers and farm families whole again, it is our hope that the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant will bring much relief and stability to our farming communities,” said Commissioner Black. “I commend every member of the Georgia Department of Agriculture team who has worked tirelessly since June 2019, to craft and finalize this program. I thank our federal partners and want the farm families of Georgia to know that we are here to serve them.”
More information can be found through the Georgia Department of Agriculture.