One USDA Staffer Is Handling All of Western NC’s Post-Helene Farm Loans After Federal Cuts, Freeze

By Galen Bacharier

USDA has just one staffer providing guidance for farmers’ disaster loans across 23 North Carolina counties, a state official said Monday.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency is charged with distributing aid after storms like Hurricane Helene wipe out crops. But Emily Gangi, chief deputy for the governor’s Helene recovery office, said they now had a threadbare presence in the region after the White House made cuts.

“You heard me right,” Gangi said. “One loan officer for 23 counties.”

The agency has closed two local offices, according to Gangi, and cut five staff. And there’s currently a hiring freeze in place.

USDA’s skeletal staffing could further complicate the flow of federal money to farmers and ranchers in the mountains. The Farm Service Agency oversees an array of disaster loan programs, several of which have deadlines and sign-ups in the coming months.

North Carolina has submitted a proposal to receive more than half a billion dollars from USDA through a block grant program. And local governments have until the end of the month to apply for money to clear debris and repair drainage infrastructure. Over the summer and early fall, applications will open for other programs dealing with commodities and livestock loss.

Gangi said her team was exploring options for the state to help “if the federal government is not going to staff these programs.”

“Our farmers need more attention and more support,” she said.

Ronald Garrett, who was appointed earlier this month as North Carolina’s state director for the Farm Service Agency, did not answer a call Monday. The USDA did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The FSA cuts are another obstacle for state officials looking to send as much federal money westward as quickly as possible. A key office within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that handles disaster recovery has reportedly prepared to cut most of its staff. And new leadership at FEMA, an agency the president has mused about abolishing, has reduced the cost-share between the federal government and state.

North Carolina lawmakers have also set out money for a state crop loss program. Applications were set to close May 4 but will remain open for another week. Matt Calabria, who leads the governor’s Helene recovery office, said there had been fewer applications from western farmers than anticipated.

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