{"id":3696,"date":"2026-08-06T12:09:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T12:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3696"},"modified":"2026-08-06T12:09:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T12:09:24","slug":"a-new-10-million-fund-is-a-first-step-toward-recovery-for-pa-farmers-after-a-disastrous-april-freeze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3696","title":{"rendered":"A new $10 million fund is a \u2018first step\u2019 toward recovery for Pa. farmers after a disastrous April freeze"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div><audio><\/audio><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For the second time in five years, a freeze wiped out all of Morgantown farmer Ed Weaver\u2019s peaches this spring.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3694\">Philly movers make the impossible happen | Real Estate Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>What was an unassuming late-April frost for most Pennsylvanians this year created devastation for farmers across the state. High temperatures at the beginning of the month accelerated orchards\u2019 blooming process. But an ensuing sudden drop below freezing quickly killed what had grown. The freeze hit 13 states on the East Coast, costing Pennsylvania fruit farmers almost $200 million. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Along with the peaches, the cold decimated nectarines and cherries at Weaver\u2019s Orchard in Berks County. Now, just 15% of the apples and pears there remain, and about half of the berries are gone. Weaver estimates the freeze caused him to lose between 70 and 80% of his orchard\u2019s revenue this year. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Weaver is not alone. A surge in extreme weather has taken a toll on fruit farmers\u2019 crops across the state, in an industry growing increasingly sparse from rising costs. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Weaver \u2014 who\u2019s overseen his family\u2019s nearly 100-year-old business for four decades \u2014 said many farmers are starting to question whether these losses from extreme weather are the new normal and are determining the best next steps to maintain stability. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cHow do we move forward? How are we going to mitigate these risks? And is this a new type of normal for us?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Attempting to reclaim some of the lost money from the frozen crops, Weaver plans to apply for a Freeze Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant \u2014 a $10 million initiative approved last month in the Pennsylvania state budget to assist farmers who have lost 30% or more of their crops. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said the department is still determining how the funding will be distributed to eligible farmers, but is hopeful the money can be given by fall, when farmers typically see profits from their spring fruit crops.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t forget about the harm that was done through this frost, and the lingering effects of it. So we\u2019re here to deliver on that promise,\u201d Redding said last month. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The additional state funding comes after Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro\u2019s administration called for federal assistance to further offset the impact of the freeze. Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture expanded low-interest loan options for some Pennsylvania apple growers with federal crop insurance. Additionally, 17 counties have been designated by the USDA as disaster areas, making farmers there eligible for low-credit loans. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Berks County, home to Weaver\u2019s Orchard, lost 85% of its crops in the freeze. But the county still hasn\u2019t received the federal disaster designation, Weaver said. State officials have said they\u2019re pushing for more assistance.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Weaver said the state\u2019s grant program is a great first step, but that it\u2019ll take years for his orchard to recover from the lost crops, especially for fruit farms that are \u201cat the mercy of the weather.\u201d <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>He said much of the financial strain is born from input costs that can\u2019t be offset with revenue, like pruning and fertilizer for the decimated crops. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Weaver said his orchard is fortunate to have other sources of income, like its market and storefront, rather than relying entirely on its fruit crops. But the freeze still impacted Weaver\u2019s \u201cpick-your-own\u201d service, where customers can harvest their own fruit, since there are few fruit crops available. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3692\">\ud83c\udf3a Let the luau play on? | Down the Shore<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Typically, Weaver said that when farmers\u2019 crops are damaged, they can buy fruit from other growers to sell, but that has become challenging this year, since the freeze was so widespread.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>For Norm Schultz, farmer at Linvilla Orchards in Media, the freeze took out nearly all of his peaches and apples. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Schultz said much of his orchard\u2019s rebuilding will rely on the fall season, and how Linvilla\u2019s pumpkin sales fare. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>But the harvest lost in the April freeze will have lingering impacts come fall, he said. Apple crops were affected, meaning that candy apple and cider sales could take a hit.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The freeze was the latest blow to rising costs for Pennsylvania fruit farmers, who are contending with unpredictable weather patterns and increasing prices of land.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Both Weaver and Schultz said generationally, it\u2019s becoming harder for farmers to pass down their land to their families, partly because of financial unpredictability, but also because land is worth more if sold instead. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The number of farms in Pennsylvania has fallen by 18% over 10 years from 2012 to 2022, according to the  agriculture  data. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Schultz said he hopes the state\u2019s newest grant for the affected farmers \u201ccan keep the people who only grow fruit in the game, because so many farms and fruit growers go out of business in this area.\u201d <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Similarly, Weaver said there\u2019s cost burdens of needing to continually upgrade equipment and make capital investments to maintain facilities, which could reduce profitability and efficiency for future generations. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIf we\u2019re going to have a good food supply of these kinds of crops in Pennsylvania, it needs to be something that the next generation wants to do,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd if it burns them financially, they\u2019re going to make a decision of whether they want to [farm] or not.\u201d <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>In the meantime, Weaver said it\u2019s important for people to support local farmers through other means, like purchasing storefront goods or making use of other services.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cEspecially right now, it\u2019s so important for people to get out and support the local farms and buy local.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><i>Natalie Javitt is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents\u2019 Association. She can be reached at natalie.javitt@gmail.com.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3690\">Monroe Township vs. data centers | Inquirer South Jersey<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A surge in extreme weather has taken a toll on fruit farmers\u2019 crops across the state, in an industry growing increasingly sparse from rising costs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pennsylvania","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A new $10 million fund is a \u2018first step\u2019 toward recovery for Pa. farmers after a disastrous April freeze - 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