By Julie Tomascik
Editor

The deadline to apply for assistance through the Texas Farm Bureau Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund has been extended. Applications will now be accepted through Dec. 1.

Texas farmers and ranchers located in counties designated as disaster areas by the federal government are eligible for assistance.

With winds over 100 miles-per-hour and torrential rainfall, the Category 4 hurricane struck Texas and overstayed its welcome in late August.

“The storm took a toll on Texas farmers and ranchers. Hurricane Harvey damaged what could have been an exceptional cotton crop for the region,” Russell Boening, Texas Farm Bureau president, said. “It was a tough blow to agriculture and difficult to watch our friends deal with the aftermath of the hurricane.”

Farmers and ranchers who are working to recover and rebuild following the storm are encouraged to apply for assistance.

The one-page application must be completed and include the applicant’s ag sales tax exemption number.

“Applying for assistance from Farm Bureau’s relief fund isn’t a sign of weakness,” Boening said. “Businesses, organizations and fellow Farm Bureau members in Texas and across the nation have donated. They want to help folks get back on their feet.”

Immediately following the storm, help came to the area in the form of hay, feed, supplies and monetary donations. But the storm’s lasting effects still remain.

Miles of fences need mending, homes need restoring and buildings need repairing.

“The actual losses from Hurricane Harvey are still unknown, but we know they were a disaster at the farm level,” Boening said.

Completed applications should be submitted to a county Farm Bureau office or mailed to Texas Farm Bureau Agriculture Research and Education Foundation, Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, P.O. Box 2689, Waco, TX 76702-2689.