SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — On Saturday, July 25 New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that The United States Department of Agriculture has declared Sullivan a contiguous disaster county after extreme weather in the spring disrupted fruit farming operations. This designation makes farmers in the county eligible for emergency loans. 

According to a release from Hochul’s office, affected fruit producers in New York have experienced a loss of more than $30 million after extreme weather that occurred in April and May. Sullivan was specifically named a contiguous county in a secretarial designation for frost and freeze that occurred April 19 through the 21.

In a letter from USDA Deputy Undersecretary Brooke S. Appleton also said that a full assessment was not available for Sullivan county along with Albany and Chautauqua county. Therefore, a possible primary designation for these counties was deferred until proper paperwork could be submitted.

In a release, Hochul thanked the USDA for their action, and urged consumers to support local agriculture by purchasing local produce and products.

“New York’s growers experienced significant damage early this year with some losing an entire growing season and reporting tens of millions in economic loss,” Hochul said. “I would like to thank the USDA for taking this action to declare a disaster designation for the impacted counties and help our growers get the assistance they need to recover and move forward. I also encourage New Yorkers to continue to support their local growers, whether it’s by buying fresh local products from the farm or purchasing the many products made from New York’s growers.” 

Farmers have 8 months from the secretarial designation to apply for assistance. For more information, people can contact the local Farm Safety Office, which is located in Walton (607-865-4005) and Middletown (845-343-1872).