Gov. Spanberger announces secured Disaster Declaration from USDA for farmers impacted by cold weather

On Monday, Gov. Spanberger announced that Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Brooke Rollins officially issued a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for dozens of counties in response to the freezing temperatures that occurred in the late spring. The cold temperatures negatively impacted farmers around the commonwealth.

The formal request was submitted by Gov. Spanberger in May to respond to the damage done to Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries.

“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 Secretary 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.”

Governor Abigail Spanberger

The Virginia Cooperative Extension had previously reported losses above the 30% disaster trigger due to the temperatures. Some growers anticipated a 100% loss.

You can see a list of the 43 primary disaster area counties and 61 contiguous counties here.