Farmers urged to record, report damages caused by flooding By BRYAN F. YURCAN

Farmers urged to record, report damages caused by flooding
By BRYAN F. YURCAN

Last week’s nor’easter caused severe flooding and damage across the East Coast.

Many Hudson Valley farmers felt the storm’s wrath, too. Some said they cannot plant crops and those who have planted may have lost all of that investment.

Delays in planting also mean delays in getting food to the consumer, said Orange County vegetable grower Cheryl Rogowski.

Farmers should always record damage and report it to the Farm Service Agency (FSA), said Lucy Joyce, agriculture issue leader with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County. The FSA is an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers can call the FSA locally at (845) 343-1872 for information.

“We always want farmers to be recording damages,” she said.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is making fact sheets on dealing with the aftermath of the flood. Copies can be obtained at the office in Middletown, or by calling (845) 344-1234.

Joyce said the recent flooding will take a toll on farmers who wanted to start planting early.

“One good thing is it’s been kind of a wet and cool spring, so a lot of acreage hasn’t been planted yet,” she said. “But the flip side of that is (the flooding) delays planting even further, and hurts the opportunity for earlier crops. Hopefully, we can dry out and get normal rain the rest of the season.”

Also, she said, New York FarmNet offers counseling services to farm families. The organization provides free and confidential consultations on farm visits to help farmers find solutions to a range of issues, including finances, farm changes, disaster, stress and conflict. FarmNet can be reached toll-free at (800) 547-3276.

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