From Yancey Extension director David Davis: Steps for farmers to take following flood damages to farming operations
***In addition to direct crop or animal loss, make sure to record other damages resulting from flooding such as damage to equipment, structures, fences, and land/property. If you need further help with documenting damages, or should you have questions, please feel free to reach out to the Yancey County Extension office by calling 828-682-6186.
Farms impacted in our area by flooding, like the one pictured, should document damages and production records as much as possible. Many farmers in our area may have been impacted by flooding which took place on Tuesday, August 17th. If you have experienced damages on your farm as a result of flooding, here are a few things to do and keep in mind:
*Keep detailed production records of crops, crop conditions, and/or livestock numbers as of August 17th. Thoroughly document any losses. Take pictures of damage/losses with time stamps, or dates recorded in the picture. Also, don’t forget to document farm losses if they are incurred later on as a result of the flooding.
*REPORT damages and farm losses to the Farm Service Agency. Reporting to FSA is not only necessary in most cases when disaster funds are appropriated, but reporting damages/losses to FSA helps with justification in requests for disaster relief/aid to cover farm losses.
*Remember that there are a variety of resource agencies locally to help you through difficult losses. In addition to NC Cooperative Extension of Yancey County and FSA, NC Department of Agriculture (NCDA), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and Yancey County Soil and Water Conservation are here to help. You are not alone!