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RICHMOND, VA - Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that the first assistance payments to farmers and forest landowners impacted by Hurricane Helene have been disbursed through the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant. The first payments being made this week are for operations that suffered income loss as a result of market loss. Payments for producers and landowners who suffered other types of losses, such as infrastructure, future economic losses for perennial crops, timber, plasticulture, and more, follow this first payment round. Virginia is one of six states to receive Helene-related block grant funding from the USDA, and the first state to accept applications and begin disbursing payments.
"We have been committed to assisting our agricultural and forestry communities in Southwest Virginia since Hurricane Helene swept through," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "It is a testament to the hard work of this administration and our partnership with the Trump Administration and Secretary Rollins, the USDA, and the state agencies on the ground, that we are delivering the resources Virginians need. We will continue to stand with our agriculture and forestry producers to help Virginia farms and forestry operations rebuild and recover."
"President Trump is making government work faster and better for the people it serves. At USDA we saw the devastating impact recent natural disasters had on our nation's agricultural lands and infrastructure. Together with the Commonwealth of Virginia, we expedited the implementation of this disaster assistance so Virginia's finest farmers, ranchers, and foresters can get back on their feet and continue to nobly feed and clothe our nation and the world," said U.S. Secretary Brooke L. Rollins.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant has $60.9 million to assist farmers and timber landowners in eligible Southwest Virginia localities with certain losses that are not covered by other federal disaster assistance programs. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) administered the block grant with assistance from the Virginia Department of Forestry and Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) to assist residents with applications. The application period was open from Sept. 22 to Nov. 6, 2025. A total of 494 applications were received.
"After the devastation Hurricane Helene brought to our farming and forestry operations in Southwest Virginia, I have been proud to watch our state agencies work together to deliver this much-needed financial relief," said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. "We will continue working tirelessly to support the resiliency of our farmers and timber landowners."
The 27 disaster designated localities eligible for the block grant included the counties of Bedford, Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe; and the independent cities of Bristol, Covington, Danville, Galax, Norton, and Radford.
"Administering the largest block grant in VDACS' history has been a true team effort, and our team has risen to the occasion with hard work, innovation, and a deep commitment to helping our farmers and timberland owners recover and get back to work," said VDACS Commissioner Joseph Guthrie. "I want to thank the VDACS team and our partners for the months of dedication needed to get this program off the ground and these essential payments into our producers' pockets."
"The Department of Forestry were some of the first responders after Hurricane Helene hit, clearing roads with chainsaws and assisting farmers, foresters, and neighbors as much as we could," said State Forester Robert Farrell. "It is a proud moment for us to reach this point, where we can deliver financial assistance to those who were impacted and help our communities move forward."
"The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has been a uniquely difficult time for Southwest Virginia. Virginia Cooperative Extension has stood by our communities throughout, assessing damages, helping our neighbors, and assisting with recovery," said VCE Associate Director Dan Goerlich. "Our agents have worked tirelessly to help residents understand and access the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant and it has been a privilege to work with other state agencies with a singular focus on serving the residents of the Commonwealth to help our communities be whole again."
To read more about the background of the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant, visit the VDACS webpage: https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about-farm-recovery-block-grant.shtml.
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