Our hearts go out to the Appalachian communities deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene. While it’s painful to see so much devastation, we are in awe of the outpouring of aid from agencies, organizations and citizens who are pitching in to provide so many supplies and volunteer help. Currently, ASD is  focused on connecting our regional farmers with emergency resources. We will be updating this list daily as information becomes available. 

If you are aware of a resource that’s not listed here, please share it with dbrowning@asdevelop.org so it can be added to the page.

business-based resources

• Meade Tractor Assistance Application – Meade Tractor has launched their crisis response program to aid farmers affected by devastating floods in Asheville, NC, Tri Cities, TN and Southwest Virginia. The program is designed to offer essential equipment and resources for clean-up, recovery, and rebuilding efforts during natural disasters, including the recent floods that have severely impacted these farming communities. The Crisis Response Program will provide: Access to a fleet of tractors, loaders, and other essential equipment at no cost to impacted farmers and on-site training from Meade Tractor’s skilled team to ensure the equipment’s safe and efficient operation.
• The Appalachian Herb Collective (AHC) is a Herbal Re-leaf effort created in response to the devastation of Hurricane Helene. This grassroots effort was formed by local Herbalists to provide Free Herbal Clinics and Mutual Aid Hubs in affected communities of Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

Federal and National Support Resources

• USDA Disaster Assistance Programs At-A-Glance Brochure
• Small Business Administration (SBA) – Disaster loans
• USDA NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection Program
• Farmers.gov – Hurricane Recovery Resources
• USDA Farm Services Agency – Disaster Assistance Programs
• Farm Aid Online Assistance Request Form and the Farm Aid Hotline at 1-800-FARM AID (800-327-6243) as well as the Farmer Resource Network, which is an online database of farmer support resources of all types. Plus, they have a Disaster Resource Guide with step-by-step advice, supported by links to relevant agencies.
• DisasterAssistance.gov – Emergency Farm Loans
• USDA Tree Assistance Program – Financial Assistance for Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers
• USDA Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP)
• Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program – to help landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland or forests
• D-SNAP – The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), also known as disaster food stamps, helps you pay for food if you live in a state with an Individual Assistance declaration from the president. D-SNAP provides funds on an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to pay for food. Even if you do not normally receive or qualify for food assistance through SNAP benefits, you may qualify for D-SNAP.
• FEMA – General Info in English and in Spanish
• Appalachian Voices – Hurricane Recovery Resources
• Rafi Disaster Recovery for Farmers – If you need to speak with someone immediately, please call the Farmer Hotline toll-free at (866)-586-6746. The hotline is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Farm Raise – Hurricane Recovery Resources
• USDA Farm Loan Assitance – can help you determine program or loan options. 

State resources

Florida

• University of Florida Extension Assessment Survey

Georgia

• University of Georgia Extension: Dealing with Pasture, Hay, Feed and Livestock Losses
• Georgia Organics Emergency Farmer Fund

North and South Carolina

• North Carolina Department of Agriculture – Emergency Programs
• North Carolina Livestock Assistance Form – if you need help (or can offer help) in moving livestock
• North Carolina Day One Relief – supporting BIPOC and LBGTQ+ organizations that need assistance after Hurricane Helene
• Carolina Farm Stewardship Running Resource & Relief List for Hurricane Helene

Tennessee

• University of Tennessee Extension Resources for Disaster Recovery
• ARC&D Resilient Farmer Fund – This link goes to a form to donation to the Resilient Farmer Fund, which is specifically to help small farmers and food producers in NE Tennessee. To apply for funding assistance from the Resilient Farmer Fund, contact Bethany Gray at bethany@arcd.org, or Rosie McVeigh at rosie@arcd.org.

Virginia

• Virginia Cooperative Extension – District Offices and Local Contacts. Local Extension Agents are taking damage reports to submit to FEMA through their Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. A link to their survey form is here. Plus, VCE has compiled their own comprehensive list of resources, find it here. And here are direct links to Grayson County Cooperative Extension and the Smyth County Cooperative Extension based in Marion.
• Virginia Department of Emergency Management
• Smyth County Disaster Relief – crews available to help with tree and debris removal, muck cleaning, and more. Plus, the Smyth County Library can help with filling out relief forms.
• Virginia 211 – connections to resources, broken down by category (clothes, transportation, housing, etc.)

Emotional support resources

• 1-800-985-5990 – The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
• 1-800-FARM-AID – For farm families under extreme stress who need a sympathetic ear, someone to listen and provide relief from the anxiety and desperation they may be experiencing.