August 13, 2025

Public Training Sessions Announced for Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant
~ Program registration and application period will begin later this summer ~

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is hosting virtual public training sessions to assist applicants in applying for the new Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant program. Virginia farmers and timber landowners who sustained damage or certain commodity loss due to Hurricane Helene are encouraged to join a training session as they prepare to submit their application. Two virtual training sessions are scheduled for:

• Tues. Aug. 26, 2025, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
• Wed. Aug. 27, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To join one of the virtual training sessions, please visit www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about-farm-recovery-block-grant.shtml. The training sessions will provide an overview of the program, how to create and register an account on the online portal, and how to apply for the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant. Dates for additional training sessions will be posted on the website as they become available. A recording of a past training session will also be available for applicants to review if they are not able to join a scheduled session.

The Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant is designed to assist farmers and timber landowners with certain losses directly related to Hurricane Helene that are not covered by other federal disaster assistance programs. Based on USDA eligibility criteria, VDACS plans to make a disaster recovery application available to eligible agricultural and forestry landowners in 27 designated localities to include the counties of Bedford, Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, Wythe; and the independent cities of Bristol, Covington, Danville, Galax, Norton, and Radford.

VDACS is currently working with USDA to finalize the grant program and develop a new online application portal. Once approved by USDA, the registration and application period will be announced.

Eligible applicants should begin to prepare to submit their application by gathering the following documentation:

• W-9 Form
• Tax Parcel ID
• Parcel Map
• Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Number(s)
• 578 Form
• Copy of Schedule F or other tax documentation demonstrating farming income
• Photographic Evidence of Damage or Destruction to:
• Greenhouses, barns, and packing houses, silos and other farm infrastructure that had a crop or livestock present in the structure within 12 months prior to the weather event.
• Above ground irrigation systems and plasticulture systems used for commercial agricultural purposes.
• Commercial aquaculture infrastructure.
• Farm roads, bridges or culverts that provide direct access to a crop production area or livestock production area that was in production within 12 months of the weather event.
• Documentation or evidence of harvested crops that were destroyed or crops that remained unharvested due to a loss of market (i.e. unsold crops that were destroyed because the market became unavailable because of the weather event).
• Documentation of ownership of private timber, with a minimum of 10 contiguous acres, which sustained moderate, severe or very severe damage due to the storm.
• Documentation of any timber sale contract for timber that was not yet harvested at the time of the weather event.
• Insurance adjustment reports and / or proof of insurance payments related to farm infrastructure losses.
• Invoices demonstrating replacement costs for certain farm infrastructure or third-party vendor estimates for repair or replacement costs.
• Documentation of application to, or payment received from, any other USDA indemnity or recovery program as a result of Hurricane Helene.
• Documentation of salvage payments received, timber damage, loss or timber casualty.

To receive Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant funding, certain producers must agree to acquire and maintain USDA Risk Management coverage for a period of two crop years for market loss, future economic loss, plasticulture, and aquaculture claims.

For program details, eligibility criteria, or general questions, please visit www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about-farm-recovery-block-grant.shtml.