Lamont seeks USDA disaster declaration for cold-impacted Connecticut farms

Gov. Ned Lamont has submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking a federal agriculture disaster declaration for all eight counties in Connecticut based on crop damage created sub-freezing temperatures and frost that occurred in the early morning hours of May 18.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack, the governor said some farms in Connecticut recorded temperatures that morning in the mid to low 20s, with the abnormally chilly weather lasting up to five hours.

“We”™re receiving reports from a significant number of farms across the state that the recent freezing weather conditions have caused an incredible amount of damage to many crops, such as strawberries, blueberries, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, apples, Christmas trees, and other nursery crops,” Lamont wrote. “We are expecting additional losses to continue for the next several weeks as these crops uncover more damage post-freeze. Farms are small businesses that not only provide the food we eat but are also responsible for employing a significant number of workers and generating economic activity.”