Page County Farmers Eligible for Disaster Aid After Spring Freeze
LURAY, Va. — Farmers in Page County are eligible for federal disaster assistance after devastating late spring frost and freeze events that damaged crops.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins issued a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for Virginia Farmers.
The declaration, announced by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, includes 43 primary disaster counties and 61 contiguous counties.
Page County is among the localities eligible for assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.
The designation follows a request submitted by Spanberger on May 27 after freezing temperatures in March and April caused widespread damage to Virginia’s agricultural and forestry industries.
According to the governor’s office, several weeks of unusually warm weather prompted early growth on fruit trees, grapevines, ornamental trees and small grain crops before temperatures plunged into the 20s across parts of the commonwealth.
Reports from the Virginia Cooperative Extension indicate crop losses exceeded the 30% threshold required for a federal disaster declaration, with some growers expecting to lose their entire 2026 harvest.
Spanberger issued the following statement in a June 26, 2026 media release:
Virginia agriculture is the cornerstone of our economy — supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, securing our food supply, and protecting the Commonwealth’s natural beauty for future generations.
The unprecedented frost and freeze event this spring devastated farmers across Virginia, many of whom will not be able to harvest a crop until the 2027 growing season.
This federal disaster declaration provides vital resources to help hardworking family farmers navigate a difficult year and prepare for their next crop.
I am grateful to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and our federal partners for listening to the concerns of our farmers and producers, and I look forward to remaining in close contact in the months ahead.
I also appreciate the efforts of our congressional delegation, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Farm Bureau, and agricultural organizations across the Commonwealth for their support of this critical USDA designation.
The disaster declaration allows eligible farmers to apply for Farm Service Agency emergency loans, credit extensions and other disaster assistance programs. Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for emergency loans through their local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Katie Frazier issued the following statement:
Virginia agriculture and forestry have seen their share of unpredictable weather events, but I have heard from several growers that this level of crop loss and devastation from a late spring freeze event is the worst in a generation.
Our farmers work tirelessly to put food on our tables, and this federal designation is important to ensuring they have the necessary resources for what we know will be a multi-year recovery process.
With recovery ongoing, the Commonwealth will continue to work with federal partners, our congressional delegation, and the industry to support our producers.
The Secretarial Disaster Declaration makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous to such primary counties eligible to be considered for FSA emergency loan assistance, credit extensions, and potential future relief programs through FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for emergency loans.
These programs provide essential assistance to farmers who now face the prospect of paying for inputs, labor, and debt-service for crops that will not yield a harvest and generate income in 2026.
Impacted farmers and growers are encouraged to contact their county USDA FSA office to review eligible disaster assistance programs and begin any necessary application processes.
Information about the Harrisonburg USDA FSA office (which serves Page County) may be found HERE or reference the graphic below.
