As you know, many small farms were devastated by Hurricane Irene and the ensuing flooding. Many lost crops, since flooded produce cannot be sold, and some lost uninsured structures such as hoophouses. Vern Grubinger of the University of Vermont has been collecting data on crop losses and he estimates more than $1 million in fruits and vegetables has been lost. “While there will be some federal assistance, philanthropic funds are going to be needed, too,” Grubinger said. “Some smaller growers lost almost everything and loans are not of much use to them at this point.”

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to help your fellow farmers, here are some non-profits that have established funds for that purpose:

We will update this list as more assistance programs are created. Please let us know of others we should add to the list.