MCPHERSON – Family farmers in Kansas and Missouri can now access much-needed relief from the economic impacts of COVID-19. Farm Aid has partnered with the Kansas Farmers Union Foundation and Missouri Farmers Union to distribute emergency relief grants to help farmers meet household expenses. Families who rely on farming for their income, live in Kansas or Missouri, and are experiencing hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic are encouraged to complete an application. 

There is an initial June 15 deadline to apply for a Farm Aid COVID-19 Farmer Resilience Initiative Grant and limited funding is available. The application process may reopen if funding remains following the June grant review meeting. Applications will be reviewed by a team of representatives from Kansas Farmers Union, Missouri Farmers Union, Common Ground Producers and Growers, Inc., Cultivate KC, Kansas Black Farmers Association, and the Kansas Rural Center.

Approval is based on the applicant qualifying as a family farm and demonstrating economic loss. Priority is given to smaller farms that may not have the required data needed to apply for USDA or other federal programs.

Applications are available online at kansasfarmersunion.com/farmer-resilience-initiative/. Applications can also be completed by phone. Email dteske@nfudc.org or call 785-770-0336 to set up a phone interview. Mail-in applications can be downloaded at kansasfarmersunion.com/farm-aid-guidelines/, and then emailed to kfu.mercedes@gmail.com or printed and mailed to Kansas Farmers Union Foundation, 4377 Wallace Rd, McLouth KS 66054. 

Donations to support these efforts can be made to the KFUF COVID-19 Relief Fund at kansasfarmersunion.com/donate-covid-19-relief-fund/ and Farm Aid’s COVID-19 Farmer Resilience Initiative Fund at https://give.farmaid.org/give/.