Hudson Valley farmers who lost much or all of their crops during a devastating spring freeze are renewing calls for the federal government to declare an agricultural disaster, saying millions of dollars in emergency relief are urgently needed to keep many family farms afloat.
Famers from the region gathered Tuesday, July 7, at a third-generation orchard in Ulster County to relay a message to the federal government that without immediate disaster relief, many farms may struggle to recover from a spring freeze that destroyed millions of dollars worth of crops.
Congressman Pat Ryan, State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, local lawmakers, and growers from more than 20 farms held the press conference Tuesday at Borchert Orchards in Marlboro, calling on the US Department of Agriculture to approve a Secretarial Disaster Designation for New York.
The designation would allow farmers to access low-interest emergency loans and other federal assistance after an unprecedented late-April freeze caused an estimated more than $30 million in agricultural losses statewide.
The damage stretched across the Hudson Valley, including farms in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Sullivan, Westchester, and Rockland counties, with many orchards and specialty crop operations losing between 15 and 100 percent of their harvest.
"The frost this spring was absolutely devastating to our farmers and growers in the Hudson Valley. Hearing and seeing the damage firsthand makes clear we need urgent action," Ryan said, adding, "One of our apple growers told me they lost close to 90 percent of their crop."
At Borchert Orchards, owner Stephen Borchert said between 70 and 90 percent of the farm's orchards were damaged by the freeze.
"If you've farmed long enough, you know every season brings its challenges. But what happened on April 21st wasn't just another tough year. In more than 40 years of farming, we've never seen a freeze event cause this kind of widespread damage," Borchert said, continuing, "Walking through our orchards the next morning was one of the hardest days we've ever experienced on this farm."
Farmers said the freeze arrived after an unusually warm start to spring caused fruit trees and other crops to bloom weeks earlier than normal, leaving them especially vulnerable when temperatures plunged below freezing.
Jeff Crist, owner of Crist Brothers Orchards in Walden, said some varieties suffered complete losses despite using frost protection equipment.
"The damage ranges by site and variety from 100 percent loss, to a partial crop with frost scarred apples," Crist said, also adding, "A dedicated state fund like this would give farms an important safety net when weather events like this one hit."
Meanwhile, Porpiglia Farms in Marlboro said it expects to harvest only about 25 percent of a normal crop this year.
Owner Domenic Porpiglia said expenses such as irrigation, pest control, pruning, and labor remain largely unchanged despite dramatically lower production.
"The farm faces substantially reduced revenue while many of the same operating costs continue," Porpiglia said.
He went on to say, "While low-interest loan programs may provide temporary assistance, they are not the solution many growers need. Taking on additional debt does not address the losses already incurred and only increases the financial burden on family farms. Farmers need direct disaster relief and immediate financial assistance to recover from this catastrophic event and continue producing food for our communities."
Hinchey said the freeze exposed gaps in existing federal assistance programs, particularly for small and mid-sized specialty crop growers who often lack adequate crop insurance.
She is also pushing legislation to create New York's Farm Security Resiliency Grant Program, which would establish a state grant fund to help farmers recover from extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent.
The event came after Ryan, alongside US Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins urging her to quickly approve New York's disaster request. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, and other local leaders have also backed the designation.
Lawmakers are asking the USDA to approve New York's request for a disaster designation covering primary disaster counties including Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester, Albany, Columbia, Erie, Greene, Niagara, Onondaga, Schuyler, Chautauqua, and Yates, along with numerous neighboring counties.
According to the USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture, New York ranks second in the nation for apple production and third for grapes, making specialty crops a major part of the state's agricultural economy.
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