Connecticut farmers can apply for share of $52.9 million severe-weather recovery grant

Connecticut has finalized a $52.9 million federal recovery grant for agricultural producers with documented losses from qualifying severe-weather events in 2023 or 2024, but the application portal was not open as of Aug. 2.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture expects the first application round to open in early fall 2026, followed by a second round in late fall. The $52.9 million is the statewide block-grant allocation; individual awards will depend on eligibility, documentation, category-specific calculations and available program rules.

Who may qualify

The Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant is for Connecticut agricultural producers who experienced eligible weather-related losses during 2023 and/or 2024 and can document those losses.

The July 24 state announcement says farmers generally must have at least $1,000 in farm income and at least $500 in documented eligible losses. The $500 minimum applies separately to each program category pursued. Eligibility and payment amounts vary by category and remain subject to state review.

More than 200 Connecticut farms reported estimated losses exceeding $72 million during 2023 and 2024. Those reports included losses associated with late frost and freeze events, flooding along the Connecticut River Valley and in western Connecticut, hail, drought and cumulative effects from excessive moisture or drought. The figure is a reported estimate, not a final audited damage total.

Three types of losses are covered

Producers may apply under one or more of three program categories:

• Crop production loss: eligible crop-revenue losses resulting from qualifying weather events.
• Infrastructure loss: damage to agricultural structures and farm infrastructure.
• Future economic loss: losses involving perennial crops that may produce less income for multiple years while they are replanted and reach maturity.

Farmers must meet the separate requirements for each category they pursue. A producer applying under two categories, for example, must meet the $500 eligible-loss threshold in each category rather than only once for the entire application.

Payments are limited and may be reduced

Approved payments may cover up to 95% of eligible losses. That is a maximum, not a guaranteed reimbursement rate.

The program limits payments to $1 million per year per category. That limit is not a single statewide cap and does not guarantee that an individual farm will receive $1 million.

Prior crop-insurance payments and other third-party payments connected to a loss will be deducted when an award is calculated. Farmers should account for those payments when estimating the amount of assistance they may receive.

Records farmers should gather now

While the application portal is being finalized, the state is urging producers to review the program categories and assemble records supporting both the losses and any payments already received.

The current state program page says every applicant should be prepared to provide:

• A W-9 form.
• A Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence.
• An FSA farm number, if applicable.
• The tax parcel identification number and physical address for each associated property.
• IRS Schedule F, Form 1040, or other documentation approved by the Department of Agriculture for applicable years.

Each category also has additional documentation requirements. Depending on the program, farmers may need records showing weather-related damage, lost production, infrastructure costs, perennial-crop losses, or crop-insurance and other third-party payments.

What happens next

The state has not posted a fixed application deadline. Officials anticipate opening the first application period in early fall 2026 and a second round in late fall. The July 24 announcement said payments are expected to be issued at the close of each round, but final application instructions and the portal remain in development.

Farmers affected by qualifying 2023 or 2024 weather events should monitor the Department of Agriculture’s Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant page, sign up for program updates and review the category-specific requirements before applying.

The Department of Agriculture lists Agr.Disaster@ct.gov as the program email for questions. The grant agreement was announced July 24 after Connecticut received a fully executed agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. State officials and independent reporting have described the funding as assistance intended to address gaps that some Connecticut farms faced after severe-weather losses and limited insurance recovery.

Sources

• Connecticut Department of Agriculture: Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant
• WSHU: CT farmers to receive $52.9 million in federal disaster relief

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