By Ryan Adams
The North Carolina Farm Bureau has established the “Hurricane Relief Fund” to support our state’s farmers and rural neighbors as recovery efforts in your communities become more apparent. Major donors include Duke Energy and Bayer Crop Science. These funds are supporting multiple initiatives. To learn more or make a donation visit the Florence Relief Fund website. Below are details of one initiative, and additional information will be released in the near future regarding other initiatives.
Cover Crop Seed Initiative
As we approach the winter months, many pastures and fields are damaged and are at an increased risk to soil erosion with every precipitation event. To replenish lost forage and to keep productive soils in the fields, the Hurricane Relief Fund is offering Cereal Rye and Triticale as a winter cover crop seed for pasture renovation and crop fields to eligible producers at no cost as supplies last.
Producers with pastures and fields impacted by the hurricane in the counties identified below are eligible to request seed to implement up to 10 acres of pasture renovation or up to 20 acres of cover crop. Seed will be available for pick up at the closest Research Station. All other transportation, planting costs and labor is to be borne by the producer and is not eligible for reimbursement.
NOTE: There is a cap of 1000 Pounds of Seed Per Producer
Eligible Counties – Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Surry, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Washington, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yancey.
NOTE: Priority is given to the counties hardest hit by the hurricane.
Producers are asked to submit an
online application. The Foundation will begin accepting applications Friday, November 9, 2018, and will continue to accept applications until November 30, 2018. At the end of each week, a seed order will be placed, and producers will be notified of their assigned pick-up location.