USDA COVID-19 Aid Program

Posted on May 3, 2020 by Taylor in Business, Farming Resources, Food Systems, Funding, Local Food, News, Policy, Politics, Subsidies // 0 Comments

USDA COVID-19 Aid Program, National Local Food Guide, and SBA Emergency Funds for Farmers in this Week’s Posts from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

USDA COVID-19 Aid Program Raises More Questions than Answers

Last week, Secretary of Agriculture Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), through which $19 billion will be distributed in aid to farmers in both direct payments and through perishable product purchases. Many details about this USDA COVID-19 Aid Program remain unclear and there are serious concerns about which farmers will benefit. In this post, we summarize what we know so far, what questions remain, and what every farmer can do to ensure they receive the aid they need to keep their farms in business. USDA is still working on the program, and we have an opportunity to reach them before the program rules are finalized – learn more about how to take action here.

National Guide to Finding Local Food

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our country’s food system, transforming the way individuals and families shop for, purchase and consume food. This transformation has brought with it a big uptick of interest in buying direct from local farmers, ranchers and fisherman as a way to support struggling small and mid-sized farmers and ensure family food security. NSAC created a national guide to finding local food, encompassing a listing of websites, guides and directories to help people find local food. We’ve included both national and state by state resources – check it out and find a farmer near you to support during this unprecedented crisis.

Farmers Now Eligible for SBA Emergency COVID-19 Assistance

This blog post has been updated with the latest information on the two SBA programs that the CARES Act expanded significantly – the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). These two programs provide urgent relief for small businesses. Since funding was quickly exhausted, Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act to replenish funding for these programs with an additional infusion of $321 billion for PPP and $10 billion for EIDL. Congress also clarified that farmers are eligible for EIDL, including the emergency grants. We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available.