Step 1: Register for an account: VDACS WebGrants (Coming Soon)

Step 2: Sign in and complete the VDACS WebGrants Application (Coming Soon)

• Follow the application prompts to upload Submission Documents as described in the online application.

• Note:
  • Document requirements will differ according to claim type. A sample Submission Document list is located below.
  • If an eligible producer or timber owner has properties located across multiple localities, a separate application is required for each locality.

Document requirements will differ according to claim type. Follow application instructions to submit the appropriate documents from the following list:

• W-9 Form
• Tax Parcel ID
• Parcel Map
• Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Number(s)
• 578 Form
• Copy of Schedule F or other tax documentation demonstrating farming income
• Photographic Evidence of Damage or Destruction to:
• Greenhouses, barns, and packing houses, silos and other farm infrastructure that had a crop or livestock present in the structure within 12 months prior to the weather event.
• Above ground irrigation systems and plasticulture systems used for commercial agricultural purposes.
• Commercial aquaculture infrastructure.
• Farm roads, bridges or culverts that provide direct access to a crop production area or livestock production area that was in production within 12 months of the weather event.
• Documentation or evidence of harvested crops that were destroyed or crops that remained unharvested due to a loss of market (i.e. unsold crops that were destroyed because the market became unavailable because of the weather event).
• Documentation of ownership of private timber, with a minimum of 10 contiguous acres, which sustained moderate, severe or very severe damage due to the storm.
• Documentation of any timber sale contract for timber that was not yet harvested at the time of the weather event.
• Insurance adjustment reports and / or proof of insurance payments related to farm infrastructure losses.
• Invoices demonstrating replacement costs for certain farm infrastructure or third-party vendor estimates for repair or replacement costs.
• Documentation of application to, or payment received from, any other USDA indemnity or recovery program as a result of Hurricane Helene.
• Documentation of salvage payments received, timber damage, loss or timber casualty.

Farmers – Eligible producer is a producer that suffered an eligible loss as a direct result of Hurricane Helene and the loss must be located in an eligible locality.

Timber Owners – Eligible timber producer means a person or entity involved with harvesting or manufacture of forest products that owns the timber rights on a property.

Eligible Producer(s) and Timber Owner(s) is a person or legal entity that must be a:

• citizen of the United States;
• resident alien; for purposes of this part, resident alien means “lawful alien” as defined in 7 CFR part 1400;
• partnership consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the United States; or
• corporation, limited liability corporation, or other farm organizational structure organized under State law consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the United States.
• Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as defined in section 4(b) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
• Foreign person or foreign entity who meets all requirements as described in 7 CFR part 1400.

To receive Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program funding certain producers must agree to acquire and maintain USDA Risk Management coverage for a period of two crop years for market loss, future economic loss, plasticulture, and aquaculture claims.

Counties

• Bedford
• Bland
• Buchanan
• Carroll
• Craig
• Dickenson
• Floyd
• Giles
• Grayson
• Lee
• Montgomery
• Patrick
• Pittsylvania
• Pulaski
• Russell
• Scott
• Smyth
• Tazewell
• Washington
• Wise
• Wythe

Cities

• Bristol
• Covington
• Danville
• Galax
• Norton
• Radford

• On-Farm Building Structures
• Eligible on-farm building structures include, but are not limited to barns, silos, greenhouses, etc.
• The eligible structures must have suffered at least a 15 percent loss (damage) as a result of Hurricane Helene.
• The structure is not required to have a commodity or livestock present at the time Hurricane Helene hit as long as there is evidence that commodities or livestock were present 12 months prior to Hurricane Helene.
• The eligible structure must be located in an eligible locality.
• Ineligible structures include, but are not limited to equipment buildings, repair shops, and movable equipment.

• Roads, Bridges, and Culverts
• Eligible roads, bridges, and culverts must provide direct access to farm production and be located on the farm.
• To be eligible they must have suffered significant damage, such as a complete washout and be impassable.
• The eligible roads, bridges, and culverts must be located in an eligible locality.
• Roads, bridges, and culverts located on forest land are not eligible.

• Above Ground Irrigation
• Eligibility is limited to above ground irrigation that had a crop being irrigated at the time of the weather event and suffered a loss at the time the infrastructure damage occurred as a result of the weather event.

• Aquaculture Infrastructure
• Eligible infrastructure includes but is not limited to tanks, docks, breeding houses, and cages.
• The aquaculture infrastructure is not required to have aquaculture present at the time Hurricane Helene hit as long as there is evidence that aquaculture was present 12 months prior to Hurricane Helene.
• The eligible structures must have suffered at least a 15 percent loss (damage) as a result of Hurricane Helene.
• The eligible structure must be located in an eligible locality.
• Ineligible structures include but are not limited to boats and any equipment that is easily movable.
• The producer must obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage for certain future crop years.

• Economic Loss for Perennial Crops
• Eligible losses include perennial crops, crops that take multiple years to mature, and rehabilitation of farmland.
• Eligible loss is based on the years between planting and having a harvestable/sellable commodity, which varies by commodity.
• The eligible loss must be located in an eligible locality.
• The producer must obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage for certain future crop years.


• Market Loss
• Eligibility is limited to markets tied directly to the eligible producer’s produced crops.
• The crop must have been produced but could have spoiled before or after harvesting due to a lack of market availability.
• Losses tied to the producer’s operation that are not directly related to the sale of a crop (e.g., corn maze, hayride) are not eligible. Losses of sales of crops produced by other applicants are not eligible, including if the producer purchased the products from another producer and intended to resell them.
• The eligible loss must be located in an eligible locality.
• The producer must obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage for certain future crop years.


• Plasticulture
• The eligible loss must be located in an eligible locality.
• The producer must obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage for certain future crop years.
• Timber
• Eligible timber losses are limited to Private Forest Land.
• The land must be owned by a private individual, group, association, corporation, or other private legal entity. Note: Forest industry land is an ownership class of private land owned by a company or an individual(s) operating or supplying a primary wood-processing plant. Any compensation received by the owner for damaged timber salvaged after the storm up to the time of application must be deducted from timber loss payment.
• Applicant must be the owner of the property at the time of the storm including timber rights, or the holder of the timber rights at the time of the storm.
• An application must be from an owner with a minimum of 10 contiguous acres, under the same ownership, of which a moderate, severe, or very severe level of timber damage occurred on at least one acre of that ownership.
• The land must have had tree cover immediately before Hurricane Helene occurred and is suitable for growing trees.

Q: Can I use my mobile device to complete and submit the grant application?

A: The Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant online platform is designed to be accessed using a web browser on a laptop or desktop computer. It is not designed for use on a mobile device.

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Q: Are funds received from the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant taxable?

A: Funds received from the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant are taxable. There are no federal or state exemptions from taxes being paid on Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant funds. This funding should be treated as taxable income. Recipients will receive a 1099 for any funds paid under the grant program.

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Q: Will I be required to obtain USDA crop insurance?

A: To receive Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant funding, producers who apply for certain losses must agree to acquire and maintain USDA Risk Management coverage for a period of two crop years. These losses include market loss, future economic loss, plasticulture, and aquaculture claims. If this is a requirement for your claim, it will be communicated in the application and in the grant award letter.

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Q: How long does it take for the account registration process?

A: The online platform requires VDACS to review and complete each individual registration approval manually. VDACS is working to complete this process within 24-48 hours during the work week.

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Q: Where can I apply for the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant?

A: The application will be available at www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about-farm-recovery-block-grant. Registration and application links will be posted on this webpage once VDACS has approval from USDA to open the application period.

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Q: When can I apply for the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant?

A: We anticipate the application period opening in early to mid-September, and it will remain open for 45 days. The application period will open once VDACS has approval from USDA to begin accepting applications.

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Q: How long will the application review process take?

A: While some applications may be more complex than others, VDACS anticipates the application review process to be completed within three months of the application period ending. The application review process involves internal review within VDACS and also includes review and validation of claims by the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) and Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE).

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Q: If I receive Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant funding, does that impact my eligibility for the upcoming Supplemental Disaster Relief Program?

A: Applying for the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program does not automatically disqualify a producer from eligibility for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program. It is important to note, however, that duplicative claims (claims covering the same loss) cannot be made to multiple USDA funded insurance or disaster relief programs. If you receive a payment for a loss through the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant, then you cannot receive payment for the same loss through another USDA program.

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Q: Can payments from the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant be deducted from Supplemental Disaster Relief Program or other program payments, or vice versa?

A: If you received a payment for a loss in the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, you cannot receive payment for the same loss from the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant. This is vice versa as well. If you receive a payment for a loss through the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant, then you cannot receive payment for the same loss through another USDA program. The application for the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant will include a series of questions about payments already received.

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Q: How can I determine my eligibility for the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant?

A: Eligibility criteria includes loss type and the loss occurring in an eligible locality, as a result of Hurricane Helene. A listing of the 27 eligible localities and the list of eligible losses is available www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about-farm-recovery-block-grant.shtml.

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Q: What type of claims are eligible for the Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program?

A: The block-grant funding is intended to assist farmers and timber owners with certain losses that are not covered by other federal disaster assistance programs. Funding claims for this grant opportunity may be submitted for timber losses, damage to certain farm infrastructure to include farm buildings, roads, and bridges used to access production areas; aquaculture; market loss perennial loss; and plasticulture losses.

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Q: If I lease property for my farm operation, do I or the property owner submit the application?

A: The claim should be submitted by whoever had the loss. If the claim is an infrastructure loss, such as a barn or farm road, the property owner should submit the claim. If the claim is for a crop, such as pumpkins or squash, the farmer or lessee may submit the claim. The application will require the applicant to substantiate their interest in any loss being claimed.

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Q: Are pictures or repair quotes sufficient for barn or infrastructure damage?

A: Pictures along with repair quotes and invoices are very important examples of supporting documentation that will help in determining the validity of a claim. However, the more information and documentation that can be provided regarding a loss, the easier it will be for VDACS to validate a claim.