AIKEN, S.C. (WCSC) – State leaders call agriculture the lifeblood of South Carolina, and 2024 has been a challenging year for farmers in the Palmetto State.

Between Helene, Debby and the summer drought, the state estimates South Carolina farmers have suffered more than $600 million in losses this year.

South Carolinians’ recovery will require help from federal, state and local resources, as well as nonprofits and the private sector, officials said.

They aim to bring together those in the agriculture industry for a series of events called “Farm and Forest Recovery Resource Days” that begin Friday.

“If you’re looking for help and you don’t know where to go, then you don’t know where to go either. But if you know where to go, most of the time you have to go to this side of town, then go to another town, then go somewhere else,” Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday.

The governor said he doesn’t want farmers in South Carolina to find themselves in a difficult situation, especially right now.

No farmers have escaped harm in the Palmetto State this year between drought and two devastating storms, the state’s agriculture commissioner said.

In response, the state launched Farm and Forest Rescue Resource Days, which McMaster attended in Aiken.

“It answers their questions and a human being who knows the answers gives them the answers,” McMaster said.

FEMA was among nearly two dozen organizations with representatives at USC Aiken, where the event was held Friday.

Farmers and non-farmer South Carolinians harmed by Helene still have time to apply for aid if they live in one of 28 approved counties along with the Catawba Nation, the federal agency said.

“This assistance can be used for basic home repairs, temporary lodging,” said FEMA Media Relations Specialist Nikki Gaskins Campbell. “If you are a farmer and your equipment is damaged, you can also get assistance this way for incidental fuel,” said FEMA Media Relations Specialist Nikki Gaskins Campbell.

As of Thursday, FEMA said it had approved more than $221 million in aid to more than 216,000 South Carolina households in the wake of Helene.

“FEMA assistance is never designed to return someone to their pre-disaster condition or make them whole,” Gaskins Campbell said. “However, we can help them get back on their feet.”

McMaster is optimistic that more help will arrive soon.

Last week, he wrote a letter to South Carolina’s Congressional delegation asking for additional aid, especially for the critical agricultural industry.

“I think a $631 million appropriation is being requested by FEMA to do the same thing for farmers and forest on the home and business side of the equation,” McMaster said.

Two more of these resource days will be held in Greenville and Myrtle Beach in the coming weeks:

• Greenville: Thursday, November 21, 2:00 – 7:00 pm Greenville Technical College, Student Success Center, 506 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, SC
• Myrtle Beach: Friday, December 6, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm SC Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting, Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation, 9800 Queensway Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC

The following institutions and organizations will have representatives at the events to explain assistance options:

• AgSouth – Provides information on loans, crop insurance and leases for farms, equipment, the timber industry and agribusinesses.

• Clemson University Extension – Helping people find resources to support their farm-related business decisions during storm recovery.

• SC Veteran Farmers Coalition – Connecting veteran farmers with technical resources, grants, and training opportunities.

• Federal Emergency Management Agency – Providing information on signing up for storm-related financial assistance.

• Internal Revenue Service – Provides information on current federal tax law disaster relief provisions.

• Small Business Administration – Providing assistance with Starting a Business, SBA Loans, and Federal Contracts.

• SC Conservation Bank – Providing information on agricultural land grants.

• RS Department of Agriculture – Will be on site for support and discussion.

• SC Department of Commerce – Providing companies with information on services such as small business resources, innovation, trade, recycling, industry support and emergency management.

• SC Department of Employment and Workforce – Providing information on housing inspections of storm-damaged employer-owned housing and unemployment benefits, including Disaster Unemployment Assistance and employer services, in advance of Foreign Worker Application Gateway applications.

• SC Department of Environmental Services – Assisting farms and tree producers with options for storm debris management, well water sampling, and regulated dam issues.

• SC Insurance Department – ​​Provides information on insurance claims, coverage, and fraud prevention.

• SC Department of Mental Health – Provides information about available mental health services.

• SC Department of Natural Resources – Supports local Soil and Water Conservation Districts that provide conservation technical assistance to South Carolina farmers and tree producers and help identify funding opportunities.

• SC Department of Veterans Affairs – Provide referrals for Veterans and their families identified through the South Carolina Veterans Coalition.

• SC Division of Emergency Management – ​​Provides information on state-level planning for recovery and grant and assistance program availability and eligibility.

• SC Forestry Commission – Providing management support to forest land owners, including timber damage assessment, salvage harvesting, replanting guidance, information on financial assistance for repairs, and fee-based services such as fire prevention plowing and prescribed burning.

• SC Office of Resilience – Providing case managers to assist eligible citizens with unmet needs due to disaster.

• SC Small Business Development Centers – Provides free specialized consulting to assist small and medium-sized farm businesses affected by disasters with recovery planning, financing, damage assessment and other recovery needs.

• SC State University – Providing technical services, support and guidance on improvement in areas such as agriculture, forestry, health, families, natural resources, youth development and more.

• USDA Farm Services Agency – Providing information on disaster programs that offer cost-sharing assistance and emergency loans to help farmers and producers offset land, crop, and livestock losses due to natural disaster.

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – Providing financial and technical assistance information to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.

• Other federal, state, and local nonprofit organizations.

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