The scope of the disaster from Harvey is immense. As we work to try to help the farmers and ranchers affected by Harvey, gathering information is a major challenge.  How many farmers are impacted and how badly? What sort of help do they need: Animal shelter and feed? Farm clean up? Equipment or labor for replanting?

This information is important to our coordination efforts with government agencies and private relief funds.  So the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance and the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association have put together a brief survey to collect the information we need to help our producers.

Farmers and ranchers in the areas affected by the Hurricane, please take 8 minutes to fill out this important survey! It will help us identify your needs, guide you to resources to help with recovery, and advocate for you with government agencies:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Harvey-farm-damage 

The survey is set up so that people can enter information for their own farm or another person’s farm that they know about.

RESOURCES FOR AFFECTED FARMERS

We are updating our livestock & poultry page daily with information on help with stray animals, temporary shelter & feed, as well as government funding for carcass removal and rebuilding your farm:  https://farmandranchfreedom.org/livestock-disaster-assistance/.

Information on general strategies for disaster recovery and many more programs are posted on the TOFGA page at http://www.tofga.org/disaster_relief_strategies.

Farmers can apply for cash grants of up to $500 through two campaigns:

1. Texas Center for Local Food: http://bit.ly/FarmerHarveyReliefApp
2. Farm Aid, in cooperation with the TOFGA Disaster Relief Fund: http://tofga.org/ (application to be posted soon)

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

First, spread the word about the survey and resource pages! The deadlines for many government relief programs are coming up fast, and we need to make sure that all the affected farmers know how to get the help they need.

Then please consider donating to FARFA to support this work. Compiling resources, coordinating, and advising individual farmers, takes time and resources that we had not budgeted for. Please help us meet this challenge and continue supporting our producers. Make a Donation.

And also consider donating to one of the relief funds to help provide cash grants to affected farmers:

1)     TOFGA Disaster Fund: http://www.tofga.org/donate

2)    Farm Aid support for Texas & Louisiana: https://give.farmaid.org/checkout/donation 

3)    Texas Center for Local Food: https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/texas-farmer-rancher-disaster-relief

Our hearts go out to everyone who was affected by Harvey —    and those who are in Irma’s path now. Recovering from storms of this magnitude is a long, difficult process, and we will do everything we can to help you through it.