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Cumberland County proposes ARP-funded farm assistance policy to aid farms hit by weather and price declines
Summary
County staff outlined a proposed American Rescue Plan (ARP)-funded assistance policy for farms affected by weather disasters and falling commodity prices, modeled on the county's small-business assistance program and requiring participating farms to employ or retain at least one low- or moderate-income full-time-equivalent worker.
County staff presented a proposed assistance policy that would create a farm assistance program using ARP funds to support farms affected by weather disasters, increased costs, and falling commodity prices, staff said at the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Staff described the program as modeled on the county’s earlier small-business assistance program. The proposed policy would limit eligibility to farms that employ fewer than 250 full-time-equivalent workers and would require participating farms to hire or retain at least one full-time-equivalent employee who is low or moderate income. Staff said the county would prepare an FAQ and a short informational video and would begin implementing program criteria after the next fiscal year. The presenter also said they had discussed the policy with the Soil and Water Conservation District and that Assistant County Manager Shutt had attended a meeting related to the program.
Staff indicated the policy has been reviewed by the county’s legal team and presented to relevant committees, including the ARP committee and the finance committee. No final commission vote on adopting the assistance policy is recorded in the available transcript; staff said implementation of the criteria would begin after the next fiscal year.
