Tornado damage assistance for Burke and Caldwell County farmers

MORGANTON, NC (November 8, 2017)…As a result of damages caused by the tornado on October 23, 2017 Burke and Caldwell County farmers and agricultural producers are eligible for assistance through USDA’s Emergency Conservation Program (ECP).  ECP is established to rehabilitate farmlands severely harmed by the effects of natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding or drought.

Sign-up Begins November 20, 2017…

Eligible land under ECP includes land normally used for farming or ranching operations, land used for producing agricultural commodities, land where conservation structures are installed, land privately owned on which commercial aquaculture facilities are located, and land protected by vegetative cover.

A producer qualifying for ECP assistance may receive cost-share levels not to exceed 75 percent of the eligible cost of restoration measures.  No producer is eligible for more than $200,000 cost sharing per natural disaster occurrence.  The following types of measures may be eligible:

            *  EC1 – Removing debris from farmland

            *  EC3 – Restoring permanent fences

The objective of each practice is to return the land to agricultural use by providing cost-share assistance.  Producers who have suffered a loss from the tornado should apply in person at the Burke-McDowell-Caldwell FSA Office from November 20, 2017 to January 19, 2018.

The Farm Service Agency is located at 130 Ammons Drive, Suite 1, Morganton, NC 28655 in the Burke County Agriculture Building; Telephone: 828-439-9727.  Office hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.