Flood & Disaster Response

Update 9/1/24: Vermont BEGAP assistance for 2023 & 2024 Floods

The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is reopening the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) for folks impacted by the 2023 and 2024 flooding. There are three types of assistance available: 

• 2024 Flooding BEGAP Funding: Applications are due November 15, 2024, for properties affected by the 2024 floods. Grants will cover 30% of net uncovered damages, up to $100,000. Preference will be given to Vermont-based operations, and 10% of funds have been set aside for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color applicants. 

• 2023 BEGAP Funding: Applications are due September 30, 2024, for properties affected by the 2023 floods that have not yet already received 2023 BEGAP funding. Grants will cover 30% of net uncovered damages, up to $50,000, and 20% of funds have been set aside for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color applicants. 

• Supplemental 2023 BEGAP Funding: Entities that previously received 2023 BEGAP funding and have ongoing unmet need should use the application to submit an inquiry for 2023 Supplemental BEGAP funding. Inquiries that are deemed eligible applicants will then receive an email directing them to apply for 2023 Supplemental BEGAP funding. Eligible applicants must have 50 or fewer employees and the previous BEGAP award must have been less than $500,000. Grant amounts (up to $50,000) will be determined by dividing the remaining 2023 BEGAP funds (following the close of 2023 BEGAP applications on September 30, 2024) by the aggregate unmet need of 2023 Supplemental BEGAP applicants. 20% of funds have been set aside for awards to Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color applicants.  

The application is now open, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Your application must be fully completebefore you will be considered for funds. We encourage you to visit this webpage to learn more and submit your application:https://accd.vermont.gov/BEGAP.  

Apply by November 15 for 2024 Flood Losses

A pre-recorded webinar is available to guide applicants step-by-step through the online application process. AAFM staff will hold a webinar to field questions and provide additional guidance, date TBD.  

AAFM highly recommends all farms who sustained flood damage to apply for this program. As an agricultural business, please visit the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (AAFM) website for guidance before applying.  Please email agr.floodresponse@vermont.gov or contact VAAFM staff through our Agency phone at 802-828-2430 if you have any questions. 

Updated August 17, 2024

We expect to update this page as we hear more about changes to state and federal disaster response.  We do know that in Vermont, at least, there BEGAP program that helped Vermonters in 2023 has been reauthorized.  Forty percent (40%) of its funds are dedicated to agriculture and forestry.  It has not yet opened applications but is expected to late this month or early September.

In the meantime, if you are dealing with flood, drought, fire, or other disaster, start with these steps:

1. Document and Report Damage: this is really important.  Every 2-1-1 report is noted and helps determine if your county is/will be eligible for federal FEMA resources.

Take photos (make sure there are dates for each), estimate your crop or animal loss, and infrastructure damage.  This includes your home.  Document, document, document.  And report.  

2. Call 211 or use the 211 website: https://vermont211.org/ or https://www.211nh.org/

3. Contact your country Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.  Your info will also help get the USDA to officially call a Disaster, which will make extra funds available.  They should be able to tell you what programs you're eligible for - some are available immediately.

4. Complete the 2024 Flood Loss and Damage Survey (this is for losses on land in Vermont only).  This will help the state learn how much damage and where it happened, and then respond.  In Vermont we can expect another BEGAP program, which should open late August/early September 2024.  This is the same program that helped farmers last year.  Deadline: August 31, 2024.

5. Contact your private insurance company and your lenders.  Private insurance may be your best bet to cover many losses.  Your lenders may be able to waive loan payments during emergencies.

If you have questions - or want help with any of this - contact your local Conservation District or us here at CRWFA: crwfa.info@gmail.com or call 802-three four five-9201.

Guide for Land Stewards:

This is also an excellent all around (but still not complete) list of resources, put together by the association of Conservation Districts.  A lot of this information is applicable to those of you in New Hampshire... we'll try to do something similar and more specific for you in the future.

https://vacd.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-Guide-to-Aid-for-VT-Land-Stewards.pdf

Mental Health & Emotional Support

Farm Aid Hotline

1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243). Monday through Friday from 9am – 9pm ET; 6am – 6pm PT. The Spanish Hotline is answered Monday through Friday, 9am – 5pm ET.

Or use their website: https://www.farmaid.org/our-work/resources-for-farmers/

New Hampshire Farmer Mental Health (NH)

Call: (603) 678-4751, or contact Counseling Associates or another private counselor directly

Or use this website: https://www.agriculture.nh.gov/divisions/agricultural-development/fmhp.htm

Farm First (Vermont)

Call: (802) 318-5538 during daytime work hours (9:00 AM-4:00 PM M-F)

24/7 Counseling Support: Call (877) 493-6216 outside of daytime work hours

Or use the website: https://www.farmfirst.org/

Direct Assistance

VT Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP)

Website: VT BEGAP

Has not opened yet but expected to late August/early September

Rural Vermont Flood '24 Fund

Website: Flood Support for Farms

VT Community Foundation (was Dig Deep VT in 2023)

Website: Vermont Flood Response

NOFA-VT Farmer Emergency Fund

Website: Farmer Emergency Fund, NOFA-VT

$2,500 grant for NOFA-VT members (at least one year), commercial farmers only

$5,000 grant for VOF certified organic (no one-year waiting period)

Vermont Farm Fund (Center for Agricultural Economy)

Website: Vermont Farm Fund

Emergency loans, business building loans, new producer loans

VT Association of Realtors

Website: VAR Disaster Relief Fund

FSA

Emergency Farm Loans (based on USDA Disaster designation - so it report losses to FSA)

ELAP: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (contact within 15 days)

TAP: Tree Assistance Program, 30 days

LIP: Livestock Indemnity Program, 30 days

NAP: Non-insured Disaster Assistance Program

ECP: Emergency Conservation Program

EFRP: Emergency Forest Restoration Program

Farm Credit East

Website: FCE Cares Flood Assistance

Floods and Resilience

Well, you've probably gotten a lot of emails and newsletters this summer about flooding, flood response, flood safety, flood resilience, and flood assistance. Most recently (today), President Biden declared the July 9-11 flooding a federal disaster, opening up FEMA funds to Caledonia, Essex, Orleans, Washington, Chittenden, Addison, and Lamoille counties. Expect a few more emails and news articles later this summer and fall.

We're hearing about it for good reason. It seems like we might get flooded at any rain event now, doesn't it? Irene was supposed to be a once-in-100 or 500 year event, depending where you were.  But last year's flooding was pretty dramatic, too - and over longer time, all summer and then again in December. And this year's July rainfall in the Kingdom was a once-in-a-thousand-year storm for some. So what gives? The experts say we should expect more weather extremes - water, drought, wind, and fire. Not to mention the unpredictability of the economy, pandemics, and who knows what else.

How are we going to deal with this?

This is what they mean by resilience - how well our farms (our fields, our infrastructure, our businesses) deal with stress from weather, fire, economic downturn, personal loss, and the like. How we deal with disasters is part of the same ball of yarn as water quality - the same kinds of investments in our farms that help us adapt to changes in weather and climate help us improve water quality downstream of our farms.

We need to talk about it.

Can you stay in business? Will your kids be able to stay in business? What about 50, 100 years from now, what will farming look like in Vermont and New Hampshire, in the Connecticut River watershed?

We're going to start by talking about disaster response. And we're going to start at our next meeting on Tuesday, September 3rd, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Details below.

Farm Disaster Response meeting

for members and non-members, open to all

Sept 3, Tuesday: 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Online:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88607107777?pwd=hP8hRcOup22gi1ULqQSzr1zBAbW3lH.1 

Register Here 

Did you know what to do after last year’s flooding?  How about this year’s?  How should you respond?  Used to be we would either take it on the chin and carry on, or maybe help and get help from neighbors.  These days that may not be enough to keep your business going.  So, is there any help out there?

The answer is yes.  At this meeting we will first take a bird’s eye view of natural disasters and farm emergencies and how to respond to them.  We’ll look at how to document and report losses, who to contact, and where to find assistance - emergency funds, loans, insurance to cover losses, financial planning, mental health support, and more.

These programs are not perfect.  They are not all well coordinated, they can be difficult to navigate, and they don’t always meet what we really need.  CRWFA and other farm groups (as well as FSA, VAAFM, and other agencies) see a need for a reliable, predictable, robust emergency response.  We are working together to figure out what can work better.

We need your help.  The second half of this meeting is a conversation about your experiences recovering from floods and other disasters, and what you think would be the best system to help those farms in need.

Please join this conversation. We'll be sending several reminders over the next two weeks.

Register Here

6:00 pm CRWFA business (updates, minutes, financials)

Flood/Disaster Response meeting

6:30 pm Disaster Response: Resources 2024.  What to do if you have a disaster on farm.
7:15 pm Conversation: how can we respond to disasters in the future?  How can disaster response improve?