ALBANY – Several counties in the state, including in the Hudson Valley, have been designated as a primary natural disaster area by the US Department of Agriculture following the late May frost/freeze.
The designations mean that impacted farmers in those areas may be eligible for assistance, including emergency loans, from the USDA Farm Service Agency.
Counties designated as primary natural disaster areas include Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, Ulster and Westchester.
Counties designated as contiguous counties include Delaware, Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan.
In addition to the USDA disaster designation, the state Department of Agriculture and Markets has issued a Crop Loss Declaration to help farm wineries impacted by the May freeze sustain their business operations.
The emergency declaration allows farm winery owners, licensed by the State Liquor Authority, to temporarily source grapes or juice from outside New York through December 31, while still maintaining their state farm winery status and enabling them to continue to manufacture or sell wine produced from out-of-state grapes or juice for the impacted varietals.
