Connecticut Farmers Get $53M Disaster Relief

0:00Connecticut farmers are finally on the verge of getting $53 million in federal disaster relief. This blog grant targets small and mid-size operations hit hard by extreme weather in 2023 and 2024. It's part of a program Congress set up 16 months ago for states like those in New England, plus Hawaii and Alaska, focusing on specialty crops. That big commodity farms don't deal with. The hold-up came from roll-out choices and bureaucratic snags. Connecticut picked a state-run program using the block grant for more flexibility on what it covers, skipping a bigger federal supplemental pot worth. $21 billion dollars. Talks stalled during last year's 43-day government shutdown but picked back up after. In a recent hearing, Congresswoman Rosa Deloro pressed agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins on why no money has flowed yet to these farmers. Rollins has shared her its a priority, saying after 30 meetings, Connecticut's deal is at the finish line. Deloro stressed the urgency for folks facing real losses. State ag officials now expect to wrap negotiations before

1:05the 2026 planning season, which kicks off around April for most. The cash won't come as one big check, but as needed when payments go out to farmers. This relief can come soon enough for Connecticut's growers who needed to bounce back strong and keep producing those specialty crops we all rely. On. Local news powered by AI. This is Hartford News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.