U.S. Secretary of Agriculture signs disaster declaration to aid Pennsylvania farmers
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — The livestock were listening as legislators from Washington, D.C. came to Lackawanna County to provide aid for farmers.
Congressman Rob Bresnahan and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins held a roundtable with local farmers at Apple Wood Farm in Scott Township.
Owner David Nogan and other farmers discussed issues like inflation, the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture, and ways to create more opportunities for generations of farmers and newcomers to get a leg up.
"It's really nice to have congressmen and the Secretary of Agriculture that not only seem like they want to listen to you, but actually pay attention and move forward with plans and get things done," said Nogan.
Secretary Rollins also signed a disaster declaration that will help cover the losses area produce farmers suffered after a severe frost late last month killed roughly $200 million worth of crops across the state.
"We can't control the weather, but we can control how we respond, and when Mother Nature strikes, our U.S. Department of Agriculture is here to do everything we possibly can on the recovery side," said Secretary Rollins.
"Sixty percent of the producers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania lost 75 percent of their produce," said Bresnahan.
Logan Brace of Brace's Orchard in Luzerne County considers himself lucky, not needing to apply for the low-interest loans being offered to help those recover.
"I'm one of, pretty much, I can count on one hand throughout the state, of the farmers that have a crop," said Brace. "It's very impactful for, I would say, 95 to 98 percent of the farmers in the state. There's going to be a lot of loans that need to be taken out."
As the farmers here go back to feeding their livestock, they hope lawmakers head back to their farm in Washington, D.C. and continue to help Pennsylvania's agricultural industry.