Unseasonable weather can devastate agricultural communities, and the recent unexpected frost in Pennsylvania serves as a stark reminder. From April 19 to 21, Chuck Gould witnessed 95% of his budding apples and peaches succumb to a freeze on his Monroe County farm.
“Just all of the things that we have to prevent against freezing just don’t work in those kinds of temperatures,” Gould explained.
On a recent Tuesday, Gould participated in a roundtable with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, at the Nugen Family’s Applewood Farm in Scott Township. This meeting coincided with Secretary Rollins signing a disaster declaration affecting 17 counties in Pennsylvania, aimed at assisting farmers financially impacted by the frost.
This declaration, prompted by Governor Josh Shapiro and supported by eight U.S. Representatives from Pennsylvania, allows the U.S. Farm Service Agency (FSA) to offer emergency credit to affected producers. Rollins noted, “These loans can meet various needs of recovery, including the replacement of essential items, such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts.”
Farmers have until January to apply for these loans, with the possibility of additional counties being included as more data is analyzed. Rollins emphasized, “The aftermath of this freeze event will impact businesses across the entire supply chain. We can’t control the weather, but we can control how we respond.”
The gathering at Applewood Farm was hosted by U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan and attended by farmers from the 8th congressional district. The frost has potentially cost farmers in Pennsylvania upwards of $150 to $200 million in revenue.
Challenges in Farming
Gould’s Produce and Farm Market, a sixth-generation farm in Brodheadsville, spans 200 acres, with 20 dedicated to stone fruit. A warm spell in April caused buds to bloom prematurely, only to be decimated by subsequent freezing temperatures. “Nature …you have no choice but to deal with it,” Gould reflected.
Despite the hardships, Gould remains optimistic, joking, “Farming isn’t easy, you can do everything right and still get hammered in the end, but the worst day of farming I ever had was better than the best day I had any place else, except when I got married.”
Efforts to Support Farmers
Governor Shapiro and the U.S. representatives have urged the USDA for a Secretarial Disaster Designation to expedite aid. The aim is to assist farmers in filing crop insurance claims swiftly and securing necessary financial resources. Shapiro also proposed a $20 million allocation in the state budget for fruit growers.
Rollins and Bresnahan both highlighted the importance of low-interest loans to help farmers face future challenges. Bresnahan remarked, “This is the difference between recovery and quite possibly shutting their doors. Our farmers are resilient, but they shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone.”
Technology and the Future of Farming
During the roundtable, discussions touched on the role of technology, including artificial intelligence, in farming. Rollins emphasized the need to protect farmland from encroachment by data centers and noted the importance of ensuring that small and midsize farms have access to advanced technologies like drones.
Rollins also highlighted the administration’s focus on staying competitive globally, particularly with China, in the realm of AI. “But at the same time making sure that we’re able to preserve and protect our farmers and ranchers, and I think this president and our administration is the right team to take that on,” she said.
Following the discussions in Scott Township, Rollins traveled to Allentown for further talks on local agriculture and freight industries with U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
