05/29/2026
Local - County - State - Federal Representatives all working together for our NYS farmers.
Supervisor Corcoran and County Legislator Laura Donavan have been working with County Executive Jen Metzger, Senator Michelle Hinchey, Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson, Congressman Pat Ryan, and NYS Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball to ask Governor Hochul to declare an emergency for NYS farmers. Well today the Governor did just that.
Governor Hochul Requests Disaster Declaration for Growers Who Sustained Significant Crop Loss from April Frost
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State has requested a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretarial Disaster Designation for counties in the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, Central New York, Southern Tier and the Western New York regions. Following an early bloom due to warmer than normal temperatures, frost conditions in April 2026 significantly impacted many fruit operations, including apple, stone fruit, grape and strawberry growers. To date, producers that reported in these regions have experienced an estimated loss of more than $30 million. A Disaster Designation would allow affected farmers to apply for USDA low-interest emergency loans. The request was made to the USDA on May 20.
A USDA disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous eligible to be considered for emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for relief programs.
We want to thank Senator Hinchey for taking the lead in having her office draft a letter of support from all of us to sign onto in asking the USDA to also declare a disaster declaration.
We need USDA to make that declaration to open up the relief funds for our farmers. Once they do that, funds could be available in 1 - 3 months depending on legislation. We wish the funding could be sooner, but first things first is to get USDA to make the declaration. Until then, all of us will continue to fight for the relief our NY and Ulster County farming community so desperately need.
Governor Hochul announced that NYS has requested a USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation for counties in the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, Central New York, Southern Tier and the Western New York regions.