Connecticut Farmers,
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, along with Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro and the full CT Congressional Delegation, is urging farmers in Connecticut to report losses from extreme weather events in 2023 and 2024 to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg). The Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant was passed in December as part of the short-term deal to fund the government secured $220 million for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide block grants to eligible states, including Connecticut. This funding is intended to compensate producers for expenses and losses incurred due to weather events in 2023 and 2024.
The $220 million grant aims to provide much-needed support for small and medium-sized farms affected by production losses, infrastructure damage, and other weather-related challenges—without requiring crop insurance or a national disaster declaration. The amount of aid Connecticut receives is directly related to the damages that are reported through this survey, so it is urgent that you take the time to fill it out.
"We strongly encourage farmers in Connecticut to participate in the CT DoAg survey on weather-related losses from 2023 and 2024,” the delegation said. “This is a critical opportunity to ensure your needs are accounted for as the state prepares to distribute disaster funding for farmers. The Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant provided $220 million in disaster relief funding for farmers impacted by extreme weather events in 2023 and 2024 and is intended to help affected farmers recoup their losses from these unexpected disasters. Farmers sharing the challenges they faced—whether it’s production losses, infrastructure damage, or increased costs due to invasive species—can help CT DoAg understand the scope of the need to address it as best as they can as soon as funding is ready. Please fill out the survey if you experienced these losses – help will soon be available.”
We urge you to complete the brief survey linked below to report your losses and share with others. The deadline to complete the survey is Sunday, January 19, 2025. The data will help CT DoAg fully understand the scope of the losses so they can quickly divide and disburse funding when it is available.
Survey Link: Click Here to Report Your Losses
In addition, The Connecticut Department of Agriculture will be hosting an office hours webinar on this survey on Friday, January 17th from 10:00 am to 12:00 am. The link to the webinar is here: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/91657184339?pwd=NmzaQkbphQ7mAV8BOSLN4ijaqzZIOt.1