07/30/2025
Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program Available Soon
A new Virginia and USDA Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant program has been established to aid farmers and forestland owners who sustained damage or commodity loss due to Hurricane Helene. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will administer the Block Grant program to provide direct payments to eligible applicants. The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) will work closely with VDACS regarding timber losses, while VDACS and Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) are working on agricultural losses.
Based on USDA eligibility criteria, VDACS plans to make a disaster recovery application available to eligible agricultural and forestry landowners and producers in 27 designated localities: counties of Bedford, Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe; and independent cities of Bristol, Covington, Danville, Galax, Norton and Radford.
Members of these communities are encouraged to prepare for the registration and application periods of the new Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program.
Current and future details regarding the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program can be found on the VDACS website: https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about-farm-recovery-block-grant.shtml
