Washington, DC – Members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation are working to secure immediate and long-term aid to help farmers recoup losses after severe weather events.
In two letters sent to Congressional leaders and administration officials, Members called for immediate emergency relief funding through the appropriations process as well as inclusion of their Save Our Small Farms Act in the upcoming Farm Bill Reauthorization.
“Eastern Connecticut is the most rural part of Connecticut, with a healthy, sizeable cross section of producers and farmers. I’ve heard from many of them on the consequences of damaging weather events over the last several years that have impacted their livelihoods and caused many farms to go under. My friends and colleagues from the delegation are pushing in the final weeks of this Congress to deliver immediate aid to our farmers; while also working to ensure they have affordable, reliable crop insurance and safety net programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” said Courtney.
“After dozens of farms in the Connecticut River Valley lost hundreds of acres of crops and millions of dollars in revenue due to extreme weather, our federal safety-net failed to properly compensate them for their losses. I joined the entire Connecticut delegation urging Congressional leadership to ensure direct relief for our farmers is included in must-pass legislation before we adjourn for the year, and to work with us to pass common-sense reforms, like our Save Our Small Farms Act, so more farmers can be easily and accurately enrolled in affordable crop insurance. We will not stop fighting until our farmers get the short-term and long-term support they deserve from their government,” said Larson.
“Connecticut’s small farms are critical to our culture, environment, and economy, but too often, they face barrier after barrier when seeking support to recover losses from extreme weather events. After talking to a countless number of farm owners about how we can provide a stronger safety net, I introduced legislation to make coverage and assistance more accessible and affordable. I will continue fighting for swift, long-term solutions for our farmers, as I push for disaster relief funding and inclusion of the SOS Farms Act in any farm bill negotiations,” said Blumenthal.
“Farmers in Connecticut faced extreme flooding and droughts in recent years and need immediate relief included in any bill we pass before this the end of Congress. Farms are the core of our rural communities, but since they’re often small operations, they deal with some unique challenges. That’s why we should also use reauthorization of the Farm Bill to pass our bill, the Save Our Small Farms Act, which would expand crop insurance coverage and disaster assistance programs to ensure Connecticut farmers have the support they need to weather future storms,” said Murphy.
“It is clear from recent hurricanes in the South, droughts across New England, and extreme weather events across the country that we must do more to bolster disaster aid available to small farmers,” said DeLauro. “Will DellaCamera, a small farmer in my district, lost nearly all of his crops during an August hailstorm. Because of an inadequate safety net, Will was only able to recoup a small amount of his losses. This is unacceptable. I am joining my colleagues in urging conference negotiators of the Farm Bill Reauthorization to prioritize bolstering our farm safety net so that farmers like Will can get the full support they deserve.”
"Federal aid is rarely enough to cover losses to farmers after severe weather events. After hearing from farmers in my district, I led the introduction of the Save Our Small Farms Act and joined the call for emergency relief for small farms,” said Hayes. "The Farm Bill must support small and medium-sized farms. As a Member of the Agriculture Committee, I will continue to advocate for resources to strengthen Connecticut farmers.”
“This summer’s storms demonstrated that our government’s emergency relief and insurance programs are not meeting the needs of those impacted by increasingly devastating weather events. Connecticut’s small farmers routinely endure the dual burdens of crushing crop insurance premiums and woefully insufficient federal assistance. In the closing weeks of the 118th Congress, let’s deliver our farmers the recovery resources they need and pass the reforms that will allow their farms to thrive for years to come,” said Himes.
From extreme flooding in Connecticut to devastating hurricanes along the coast, producers have not been able to recover from one catastrophe before another hits. The scale and frequency of these weather events demand robust emergency relief now, particularly because Congress has not enacted disaster assistance for losses since 2022.
The need for emergency relief funding is also a result of failed farm safety net and crop insurance programs. The Members called for agricultural leaders in Congress to change the status quo by including their Save Our Small Farms Act in the upcoming Farm Bill Reauthorization. Their bill would expand the number of farms eligible to purchase crop insurance, lower the cost of coverage for small farmers, and direct the USDA to develop more responsive coverage options for farmers during future extreme weather events.
To read the letter urging appropriators to provide emergency relief, click here. The letter was signed by 38 lawmakers including: Rep. John Larson, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Rep. Joe Courtney, Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Jahana Hayes, Rep. Jim Himes, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Rep. David Scott, Rep. Becca Balint, Rep. Jared Golden, Rep. Chris Pappas, Rep. Troy Carter, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Rep. Gabe Vazquesz, Rep. James McGovern, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, Sen. Margaret Hassan, Del. James Moylan, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Rep. Alma Adams, Rep. Darren Soto, Rep. Patrick Ryan, Rep. Eric Sorensen, Rep. Timothy Kennedy, Rep. Ann Kuster, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, Sen. Edward Markey, Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Chellie Pingree, Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Richard Neal, Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. John Garamendi, Rep. Mike Thompson, Rep. Salud Carbajal, Rep. Jimmy Panetta, and Rep. Julia Brownley.
To read the letter urging Farm Bill negotiators to include the SOS Farms Act, click here. The letter was signed by 22 lawmakers including: Rep. Joe Courtney, Rep. John Larson, Rep. Jahana Hayes, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Jim Himes, Sen. Peter Welch, Rep. James McGovern, Rep. Richard Neal, Rep. Alma Adams, Rep. Game Amo, Rep. Lori Trahan, Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Timothy Kennedy, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Sen. Jack Reed, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Becca Balin, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, Rep. Terri Sewell, and Rep. Rashida Talib.