As we continue to navigate through the immediate recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, financial assistance for farms and farm-based businesses is becoming available.

ASAP's Appalachian Grown Immediate Needs Grant

This grant is intended to support farms with significant losses due to disasters. Farmers may apply for up to $500 to cover immediate needs and expenses towards cleaning, replanting, repairing, or other costs not covered through insurance or other programs that will allow the farm to quickly recover. Qualifying farms must be Appalachian Grown certified (farms can easily create a Local Food Guide listing to ensure you meet this initial requirement). All counties in the map below are eligible for funding.

ASAP's Immediate Needs Grant - APPLY HERE

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WNC Communities Immediate Disaster Needs Grant

WNC Communities Immediate Disaster Needs Grant recognizes that farmers have immediate needs to stabilize their farm businesses and to support our food system. The goal of this program is to provide resources quickly to legitimate farm businesses with urgent needs that will directly impact assist getting the farm business back in operation as soon as possible. For the first round of funding, we will be accepting applications from October 10th – 31st. Funds will be awarded on a rolling basis, prioritizing the most urgent needs first.

Farm businesses with damages directly related to Tropical Storm Helene are eligible. Any farm with direct damages within WNC Communities’ 20 county service region may apply: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Macon, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey.

Online applications are available through the link below, and the Buncombe Cooperative Extension Center will have paper applications and can assist those with limited connectivity. THIS FUND IS ONLY FOR BONAFIDE FARMS, and a representative from a partner agency will pre-qualify your application to make sure your farm meets the requirements of this assistance program. Partner organizations include: WNC Communities, N.C. Cooperative Extension, local county Soil and Water offices, NC Farm Bureau, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), North Carolina Department of Agriculture &Consumer Services, WNC Livestock Exchange

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WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund

Mountain BizWorks, based in Asheville, is launching this disaster loan program thanks to $7.5 million in initial funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation. Setup as rapid recovery loans to help businesses that have been operating for at least 6 months, in one of the 32 NC counties covered in the SBA’s Helene Disaster Declaration Area can apply for rapid recovery loans of up to $100,000 to meet immediate needs while waiting for federal loans, insurance payouts, or other relief.

WNC Strong Rapid Recovery Loan - APPLY HERE 

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Support through the Small Business Administration

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Additional funding opportunities will be added as those channels open.