Drought, Fire, Flood, Disaster Relief and Resiliency Programs for Small Farms

Use this page to find funding resources for disaster relief and farm resiliency through federal and state programs

Oregon State Programs - disaster relief for losses

There are currently no open Oregon State programs for disaster relief for farms and ranches. The page will be updated if/when state disaster programming is reauthorized. For other resources, see below for federal disaster relief and resiliency programs.

 

2021 State Disaster Relief Programs reports:

Oregon Drought and Disaster Assistance Program (ODAP): 298 Oregon farmers and ranchers qualified for the ODAP launched in May 2022. The one-time program was created to help those who suffered financial losses during one or more of the natural disasters that hit Oregon in 2021. The funding was provided by the Oregon Legislature and designed to bridge the gap with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA disaster assistance programs.

Working with the private financial institutions familiar with agricultural lending, ODA administered two rounds of ODAP applications. ODAP funded nearly $16.4M in assistance the first round and another $3.2M in the second round for a total of nearly $20M of the $40M program, with a potential for many of the loans deemed forgivable. The average loan amount over the two rounds was nearly $70,000.

 

Oregon Community Food Systems Network: Farmer & Rancher Disaster Relief Grant Program

To cover farmers that would not be eligible for or who cannot feasibly apply for the ODAP, a coalition of organizations including OCFSN Members and Our Family Farms asked the Legislature for $1.5 million to create a disaster assistance grant program for small and disadvantaged farmers - and they did (Senate Bill 5561, Section 15).

Applications for the OCFSN Disaster Relief Grant closed in the summer of 2022. All funds for 2021 natural disaster relief have been distributed. OCFSN received 115 total applications 5 of which were denied for ineligibility. 108 eligible farmers and ranchers received grant funding. 41 out of 108 of the applicants were BIPOC (38%). The majority of the applicants were located in the Willamette Valley (59) with others located in Southern Oregon (25), Central Oregon (13), Eastern Oregon (9), and the Coast (2). $1,921,756 total funds were requested for the program.

Federal Programs - disaster relief, for losses

Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool: Use this tool to determine which USDA disaster program is best fitting for a farm. For more information, the USDA’s Protection and Recovery site provides details on their suite of disaster assistance programs. You can also find your local USDA Service Center.

Federal Programs farmers can apply for 2022 losses based on due dates:

  • Livestock Indemnity Program:  Benefits to eligible livestock owners or contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality. An owner or contract grower must file a notice of loss within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is first apparent as well as file an application for payment within 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred.
  • ELAP: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program: Provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires. ELAP assistance is provided for losses not covered by other disaster assistance programs. The ELAP application period ends Dec. 31 of each calendar year. For honeybee losses, 15 days after loss is apparent and for Livestock and farm-raised fish losses, 30 days after loss is apparent. 
  • Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program: The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) helps producers to manage risk through coverage for both crop losses and crop planting that was prevented due to natural disasters. The eligible or “noninsured” crops include agricultural commodities not covered by federal crop insurance. Producers must be enrolled in the program and have purchased coverage for the eligible crop in the crop year in which the loss incurred to receive program benefits following a qualifying natural disaster.
  • Tree Assistance Program (TAP): provides financial assistance to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines lost by natural disasters. Apply within 90 calendar days of the disaster event or the date when the loss is apparent to the producer.
  • Emergency Conservation Program: Provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland and conservation structures damaged by natural disasters and implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought. The county FSA office will provide guidance on the approval process and next steps.
  • Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP): Provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest land in order to carry out emergency measures to restore land damaged by a natural disaster. Owners should check with their local FSA office to find out about sign-up periods after a natural disaster.
  • Emergency Farm Loan Program: Emergency loan for farms that own/operate a farm in a county that has deemed a natural disaster, a permanent citizen of the U.S., suffered 30% loss from a natural disaster, have repayment ability and have a credible credit history. Applications for emergency loans must be received within eight months of the county’s disaster or quarantine designation date.
  • Emergency Haying and Grazing: The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides for emergency haying and grazing on certain CRP practices in a county designated as D2 or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor, or in a county where there is at least 40 percent loss in forage production. 
  • Disaster Set-Aside Program: As a direct result of the disaster, the borrower is unable to pay all family living and farm operating expenses, payments to other creditors, and payments to FSA. The borrower must be current or not more than 90 days past due on any FSA loan when the application is completed.
  • Livestock Forage Disaster Program: Livestock growers of eligible livestock and raise forage or suffered a loss of grazed forage and experienced economic hardship from a natural disaster. Eligible livestock producers who are also producers of grazed forage crop acreage must provide a completed application for payment and required supporting documentation to their FSA office within 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurred.

Small Business Administration

Farm Resilience Programs 

These programs are not for disaster relief but can provide financial support for farmers to be more resilient during future disasters.

  • Ask an Expert Short Video Introductions: These short videos introduce many organizations that work with farmers to help find land, find funding for farm operations or integrate conservation efforts on your farm.
  • Conservation Reserve Program (fact sheet):  In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are from 10 to15 years in length. 
  • Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP): Provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, increased soil health and reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, improved or created wildlife habitat, and mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility. To learn more about EQIP, contact your local NRCS office. Historically underserved (HU) participants are eligible for advance payments to help offset costs related to purchasing materials or contracting services through EQIP.
  • Emergency Watershed Protection Program: The EWP Program allows communities to quickly protect infrastructure and land from additional flooding and soil erosion. EWP does not require a disaster declaration by federal or state government officials for program assistance to begin. Recovery projects begin with a local sponsor or legal subdivision of state or tribal government. Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, conservation districts, or any federally-recognized Native American tribe or tribal organization. Interested public and private landowners must work through a sponsor.
  • Agricultural Conservation Easement Program: The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring and enhancing wetlands on eligible land. 
  • Western SARE Grants: The Farmer/Rancher grant program involves agricultural producers (main applicants) and technical advisor(s) implementing projects to address identified needs in sustainable agriculture. With the support and guidance of the technical advisor, producers must integrate research and education to conduct on-site/on-farm experiments to improve production, marketing, and the environment.
  • USDA Crop Insurance, Whole Farm Revenue Program: Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy.