[vetsinag] Farm Tip Tuesday: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

[Robyn Metzger]

Today's Farm Tip Tuesday comes from a blog post by Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Ann Baier, who works with the
NCAT Western Office
. While the California wildfires prompted her post, the information and resources for disaster preparedness and relief are important for farmers in any region. Read the full blog entry here<https://attra.ncat.org/blog-29-farmers-and-resilience/>.

Ann writes:
"September is National Preparedness Month<https://www.ready.gov/september>. It’s a good time to review your existing preparedness plan, or put a new one into place.

There are many steps you can take to get prepared for an emergency and increase your capacity for resilience. Review your family evacuation plan, secure your important papers, and check your insurance policies to be sure they are adequate. Take photos of your property. Set up recordkeeping systems to document your production history. Get to know your region’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center, Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA). Learn how to live with fire as part of the landscape. Work on fire safety projects, such as fuel reduction. (Our neighborhood began early this summer to clear entry roads and escape routes, chipping the trimmings into mulch with a grant from our Resource Conservation District). Plant a cover crop to minimize erosion and build healthy soils that are ready for the next storm, next growing season, and the next generation. The more proactive you are, the more resilient you can make your farm, business, family, and future."

The following links include federal resources and guidance that are relevant for many locations.

Navigating Disaster Assistance for Farmers<https://1efnyhsj63r2fo5g01erbmcv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Navigating_Disaster_Assistance_for_Farmers-2019.pdf>
FarmAid Resources for Farmers<https://www.farmaid.org/our-work/resources-for-farmers/>
DisasterAssistance.gov<https://www.disasterassistance.gov/>

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool<https://www.farmers.gov/recover/disaster-tool#step-1> (Begin!)
USDA Disaster Assistance Programs At a Glance<https://www.farmers.gov/recover/disaster-tool>
USDA Disaster Resource Center<https://www.usda.gov/topics/disaster>

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
Find your local office with this Service Center Locator<https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/contact/local/>
Post-Fire Disaster Assistance<https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ca/newsroom/features/>
NRCS Catastrophic Fire Recovery Initiative<https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ca/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=stelprdb1247015>
Farm Service Agency (FSA)<https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/index>
FSA Disaster Assistance Programs<https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index>


Related Resilience Resources
USDA Farmers.gov<https://www.farmers.gov/> - The Conserve<https://www.farmers.gov/conserve> section of this website will help you access conservation assistance.

USDA Farm Production and Conservation<https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/mission-areas>
Prepare for Emergencies, Small Business Administration<https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/prepare-emergencies?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery>
Crop Insurance for American Farmers and Ranchers, Risk Management Agency<https://www.rma.usda.gov/>
Rethinking Crop Insurance in the Time of Pandemic: Risk and Uncertainty<https://attra.ncat.org/rethinking-crop-insurance-in-the-time-of-pandemic-risk-and-uncertainty/> - A blog post by NCAT Agriculture Specialist Jeff Schahczenski explaining options such as Whole-Farm Revenue Protection<https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Policy-and-Procedure/Insurance-Plans/Whole-Farm-Revenue-Protection> and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program<https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/noninsured-crop-disaster-assistance/index>.

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Last week we shared an excerpt from a blog by Livestock Specialist Linda Coffey. That blog has now been posted and is available here<https://www.ncat.org/healthy-animals-happy-farm/>. If you need a moment of fun, be sure to watch the embedded video of Linda's lambs.

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Please feel free to contact NCAT's ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture specialists if you have questions. Call 800-346-9140 or email askanag at ncat.org.


With best regards,
Robyn



Robyn Metzger

Program Specialist/Armed to Farm Coordinator

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)

www.ncat.org/armedtofarm<http://www.ncat.org/armedtofarm>

www.attra.ncat.org<http://www.attra.ncat.org>

479-442-9824


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