Disaster Assistance for Ag Producers

Below we offer numerous links to NCAT and ATTRA resources, federal and state resources, nonprofit groups, aid organizations, and publications focusing on assistance available to farmers and the rural poor in the wake of hurricanes, floods, droughts, or other natural disasters.

• NCAT and ATTRA Resources
• USDA Resources
• Other Federal Resources
• Local, State and Nonprofit Resources
• Aid Organizations That Assist Farmers
• Publications

NCAT and ATTRA Resources

• Drought Presentations and Resource Guide –
  Three PowerPoint presentations focus on how to manage your cropland, pastures, or rangeland in good years, in order to minimize the impacts of drought when it occurs. Another three presentations discuss management practices that may be used during or following a drought. The Resource Guide provides a comprehensive text and Web-based materials, listed according to topics covered in the PowerPoint presentations.
• California Drought Programs and Resources –
  This brief publication lists support programs and resources geared specifically to the California drought, but it also contains links and information to national resources good for the whole country.
• Drought and Disaster Resources for Texas Producers –
  This brief publication lists and explains a selection of resources available to Texas producers from various agencies at both the state and national levels.
• Crop Insurance Options for Specialty, Diversified, and Organic Farmers –
  This publication reviews federally subsidized crop insurance, with special attention to options available to specialty, diversified, and organic farmers. This publication gives several examples of using alternative crop-insurance policies that can offer some degree of protection from significant market-price changes and the multiple perils of farming that can impact yield.
• Primer on Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Crop Insurance: Updates for 2018 –
  This publication provides an overview of a novel crop insurance product called Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP). This policy provides revenue protection for all crop and livestock products produced by a farm or ranch.
• Organic Farming and Crop Insurance Options –
  This recorded one-hour webinar presents the history, opportunities, and challenges with using federal crop insurance policies to protect yield and price risks associated with transitioning and certified organic agriculture.
• Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities –
  This guide is written for anyone seeking help from federal programs to foster innovative enterprises in agriculture and forestry in the United States. This edition constitutes the guide’s fifth printing and third complete update, incorporating programs from the 2008 Farm Bill.

USDA Resources

• USDA’s Disaster Resource Center
• Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Programs, with information on Emergency Farm Loans, the Emergency Conservation Program, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program and other USDA programs administered by FSA.
• Rural Development Disaster Assistance
• Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool
• USDA Climate Hubs

Other Federal Resources

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Natural Disasters and Weather Emergencies
• FEMA
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Homeland Security: Disasters
• National Hurricane Center
• National Weather Service
• Small Business Administration (SBA) – SBA Disaster Loan Assistance

Local, State and Nonprofit Resources

• American Red Cross
• Animal Management in Disasters
• Empire State Animal Response Team
• Extension Disaster Education Network with Member Institution Links for each state
• Farm Crisis Center, National Farmers Union
• Gulf Restoration Network
• National Drought Mitigation Center – University of Nebraska – Lincoln
• North Dakota State University Flood Information: Farm and Ranch Information
• Texas Department of Agriculture Hay Hotline

Aid Organizations That Assist Farmers

• AgriWellness, Inc.
• American Red Cross
• Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund – CCOF Foundation
• Cooperative Development Foundation
• Farm Aid
• Farmers’ Legal Action Group
• Feeding America
• Good Farmer Fund, Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (Seattle)
• Heifer International
• Minnesota Farm Advocates
• National Family Farm Coalition
• Oxfam America
• RESEED Recovery Fund, Natural Capital Investment Fund
• Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA)

Publications and Online Resources

• Agricultural Disaster Preparedness and Recovery – eXtension
• All Hazards: Resources to help rural communities prepare for disasters and other hazards – Iowa State University
• Barnyard Animal Rescue Plan – American Red Cross
• Caring for Livestock Before a Disaster – Colorado State University Extension
• Caring for Livestock During a Disaster – Colorado State University Extension
• Caring for Livestock After a Disaster – Colorado State University Extension
• Dealing with Damaged Ag Buildings – University of Minnesota Extension
• Disaster Relief: Flood-Related Diseases in Poultry and Livestock – Mississippi State University Extension
• Do YOU Have a Plan for Your Livestock Should Disaster Strike? – USDA Preparedness Fact Sheet
• Feeding Flood-Damaged or Sprouted Crops to Livestock – Mississippi State University Extension
• Flood Recovery Checklists for Farmsteads – North Dakota State University
• Floods and Organic Producers: Steps to Recovery after a Natural Disaster – Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Inc. (FLAG)
• Hurricane Preparedness for Livestock – Texas AgriLife Extension
• Managing Flood Damaged Crops – Penn State Extension
• Navigating Disaster Assistance for Farmers – Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Inc. (FLAG)
• Preparing for a Barn Disaster – University of Minnesota Extension
• Preparing the Farm and Farm Animals for Disasters – American Veterinary Medical Association
• Proper Management of Flooded Grain and Hay – Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa Department of Natural Resources
• Safe and Healthy Recovery after Flooding – AgriSafe Network
• Tree Values – International Society of Arboriculture