How the state government plans to aid West Virginia farmers suffering from drought

HUTTONSVILLE, W.Va. (WBOY) — Despite receiving a bit of rain last week, agriculture experts believe that the damage to crops caused by West Virginia’s summer drought has already been done. Now, the state government is stepping in to try and minimize the impact of that damage.

Programs put on by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and the governor’s office have been kick-started in order to focus on providing aid to farmers who need water for their crops and hay for their animals.

The ongoing drought has caused many farms to quickly adapt. “We have turned some meadows that we were keeping, hoping for a second cutting of hay, we have turned cattle in on them for pasture,” Snyder Farms owner, Randall Snyder said.

But even with severe drought, drizzles here and there have provided some relief with hay production for farmers like Snyder. “It has helped the grass situation—it has woke the grass up, it’s starting to green up a little bit—but we haven’t got enough moisture to raise our water table,” said Snyder.

Even with the awakening of the grass, the Snyders were only able to get 185 square bales during the second cutting this year, down from the usual 400. But some farms in areas like the eastern panhandle have not been lucky enough to get another cutting.

“Farmers are starting to feed—it’s already started, and been for a while—feeding the hay, their winter food supply, they’re feeding it now because the grass isn’t growing,” WV Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt said.

To counter farmers’ early use of hay, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture partnered up with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to implement a hay exchange program in the state, where farmers with extra hay can contact the local county FSA to be added to the “Hay for Sale” list.

On top of that, just last week, Gov. Jim Justice launched the Emergency Drought Relief Reimbursement Grant Program to provide financial assistance to counties under severe or extreme drought conditions. As part of the program, local agencies like fire departments and conservation districts that have provided water to farms in need will be reimbursed for those expenses.

“The Farm Services Agency with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they’re setting up, they’re doing their training right now on programs that they have on shelf that they’re now getting ready to implement for the first time in West Virginia to help in the D3 areas with a feeding program and then in the other—D1 and D2 drought areas which is the rest of the state. They’re going to be able to get some assistance on the grazing side of things and this will be monetary assistance. They have a set amount per livestock and they pay 60%. I’ve had some discussions with the governor’s office on potential emergency funds to help close that 60% gap but we don’t have that ironed out at this point in time,” said Leonhardt.

For farmers like Randall Snyder who may still have some trouble with his hay production, he has his mind set on giving back to his community.

“I feel I’m gonna have a little extra hay to help some of my neighbors out,” said Snyder.

Leonhardt has advised farmers to keep receipts of any drought-driven costs, like extra hay, a water tank or anything else that was an additional need this year in order to potentially qualify for federal or state grants available in the future.

You can find more information about the state’s drought assistance resources here.

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