SOUTH GLASTONBURY, CT (WFSB) - Flooding has impacted the state’s farms and the food supply chain.
Gov. Ned Lamont and a number of other state officials held a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday in South Glastonbury to discuss it.
Lamont was at Killam and Bassette Farmstead in South Glastonbury to view flood damage the farm recently experienced.
He and others spoke about the impact that flooding has had on farms across Connecticut.
They said farmers haven’t been able to catch a break.
Months ago, there was a drought. Then there were freezing springtime temperatures. Recently, their crops were washed away between the storms last week and over the weekend.
Farmers said crops impacted by the weekend rain were contaminated and could not be sold. They called it a devastating loss that will impacted prices.
The Killam and Bassette Farmstead was partially underwater.
The United States Department of Agriculture is taking action. It asked farmers to report their losses. Information on how to do that can be found here.
Climate Smart and Farmland Restoration bonding will also be available.
The USDA said it created a marketplace to give farmers the tools to navigate their flooding situations.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Rep. John Larson, agriculture commissioner Bryan Hurlburt, energy and environmental protection commissioner Katie Dykes, and several local farmers, including Chris Bassette, owner of Killam and Bassette Farmstead, were also on hand.
Local farmers like Bassette said the best thing people can do to help them is to shop locally.
“I’d like to stress to our customers and to other farmers’ customers to be sympathetic when you go into those farm stands and farmers markets,” Bassette said. “We are doing the best we can to provide the freshest product for you and this is what we’re dealing with.”
“This farm is in our family for 125 years now, we would like to keep it going,” said RJ Gotta with Gotta’s Farm.
Much of Gotta’s farmland is now flooded. Gotta, a fifth-generation farmer, showed Eyewitness News to see some of the damage.
There’s nothing they can do to save these crops.
“Hoping insurance and the government helps us out,” Gotta said.
“What can we do now, how can we help,” said Lamont.
“We lost everything 100-percent. 30 acres worth of cropland down by the Connecticut River,” said Lisa Gilbert of Gilbert Farm.
The Connecticut River has some of the most fertile land in the state but following in her family’s footsteps hasn’t been easy. Farmers have had early frosts, draughts and flooding.
Gilbert said this is the worst it’s been since 2011 with Hurricane Irene. 30 acres of crops are now destroyed.
At Gilbert’s Farm stand in Rocky Hill they have produce to sell but it’s far less than what they normally have.
“This is the beginning of the summer harvest season, squash, beans, cucumbers, pickles, sweet corn, lettuce, kale, cabbage all kinds of stuff local stuff,” said Gilbert. “With the Connecticut river going under we lost everything, 100-percent.”
Farmers need help. There is disaster relief money. Farmers should file a claim with the USDA. There may also be some relief from the state in terms of low interest loans.
Pumpkin crops have also been flooded, so you may have a hard time getting a pumpkin this Halloween.
Detrimental flooding also stretched across town roads in East Haven, Bristol and Waterbury.
The cleanup continued on Monday.
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