Agreement with state agriculture department directs funds to support recovery after Hurricane Helene.
It’s been nearly a year since Hurricane Helene slammed into the U.S., making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane Sept. 26, 2024, before unleashing historic rainfall, flooding and mudslides across western North Carolina and the broader Southeast. Seed World has tracked its aftermath — from initial damage assessments throughout North Carolina and Virginia to reports of unprecedented soybean sprouting issues in Ohio tied to post-Helene rains. More recently, we highlighted a pioneering recovery guide under development to help Tennessee growers rebuild fields buried beneath six feet of sand and silt.
Recently, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Alexander Vaden met with agricultural leaders and producers in North Carolina and announced additional assistance to help farmers recover from Hurricane Helene. Vaden signed a block grant agreement with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) to provide recovery funding for eligible farmers.
Earlier this summer, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced disaster assistance for farmers in Virginia and Florida.
$221.2 Million for North Carolina
Under the agreement, NCDA&CS will receive $221.2 million to administer a program covering eligible infrastructure and timber losses, market losses, and future year revenue losses. The funds are part of the $30 billion disaster relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025. USDA is working with 14 states, including North Carolina, to develop block grants that meet each state’s unique recovery needs.
“America’s farmers and ranchers across the Southeast and in North Carolina have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during 2024. USDA has worked closely with the State of North Carolina to ensure those impacted have the relief they need,” Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a recent USDA news release. “President Trump has our farmers’ backs, and we are working quickly to get these much-needed relief funds to those who need to rebuild. This is one part of our daily actions to ensure our farmers have the resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable, and most abundant food supply in the world.”
Support for Farmers After Hurricane Helene
“Today’s announcement is about delivering on our promise to stand shoulder to shoulder with America’s farmers in times of need. By signing this block grant with North Carolina, USDA is ensuring that producers have the resources to rebuild stronger after Hurricane Helene and keep producing the food and fuel our nation depends on,” Deputy Secretary Vaden said in the release. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are moving quickly to cut red tape, get relief dollars into the hands of those who need it most, and protect the backbone of our rural economy, our family farms.”
North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler says the assistance is critical for farmers still reeling from 2024 losses.
“This $221.2 million federal disaster assistance block grant for agricultural damage due to Hurricane Helene is welcomed news to North Carolina farmers in western North Carolina who have been holding on in the aftermath of massive ag losses in 2024. We are grateful for USDA’s continued efforts on this block grant and appreciate their willingness to partner with us on this much needed assistance,” Troxler said. “We all have an interest in the success of agriculture because farmers produce the food and fiber we all depend on.”
The grant agreement covers qualifying losses not addressed by other USDA disaster programs. Producers should look for additional program details through NCDA&CS.
