Tennessee to Manage USDA Grants for Farmers and Forest Landowners Hit by Hurricane Helene

NASHVILLE - Farmers and forest landowners in Tennessee who continue to recover from losses brought on by Hurricane Helene will soon have the opportunity to apply for block grants made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA).

USDA, Governor Bill Lee, and TDA have finalized a grant agreement to provide financial assistance for qualifying agricultural and timber losses caused by Hurricane Helene that were not addressed by other USDA disaster programs or covered by insurance.

Eligible producers must reside in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, or Washington counties, which were identified in Governor Lee's Expedited Major Disaster Declaration.

"We're grateful for Secretary Rollins' leadership and USDA's partnership in delivering meaningful relief to our farmers and forest landowners," said Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Andy Holt. "This funding recognizes the unique challenges faced by Tennessee's agricultural producers in the wake of Hurricane Helene's devastation and will help cover a wide range of critical current needs as well as setbacks still to come."

Affected farmers and forest landowners may apply for this grant program, with a maximum award of up to 90% of verified losses, depending on available funding and the number of applications received.

Eligible agricultural losses fall under four categories:

· Infrastructure Loss - physical structures and equipment

· Future Economic Loss - long-term production recovery

· Market Loss - lost sales due to market disruption

· Farm Production Loss - loss of crops

TDA is receiving $34 million in federal funding to administer the program, which will support infrastructure and timber loss recovery, as well as offset future economic and market losses. This funding is part of the $30 billion disaster relief effort authorized under the American Relief Act of 2025.

Application details and guidance will be available in the coming weeks on the TDA website and social media pages.

For more information and updates on the Helene Agricultural and Timber Relief Fund, visit the TDA Ag Recovery webpage.