Freeze Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants
Pennsylvania authorized a bridge to the next fruit crop. The payment rules are the next critical piece.
The state has committed recovery money for fruit growers hit by the April freeze. The law establishes who the program is for and what applicants must document, but a farmer should not estimate an award until the Department publishes and verifies the crop-specific payment methodology.
State commitment
$10M
Minimum reserved for freeze-disaster recovery grants.
Who the law covers
A defined loss test
- Pennsylvania growers with at least 30% loss of expected production.
- Pome fruit, stone fruit, grapes, and berries grown in the Commonwealth.
- Losses tied to freeze events between April 1 and April 21, 2026.
What to prepare now
Build the evidence file
- Eligible acreage for each affected fruit crop in production during the freeze period.
- A parcel map showing where each eligible crop was produced and the acreage affected.
- Crop-insurance, FSA, harvest, sales, or production records that can support a loss estimate.
Do not guess yet
The implementation gaps
- The verified application opening and closing dates.
- The per-acre payment methodology for each eligible crop.
- The final award cap by federal employer identification number and accepted proof of loss.
SHE status call
Authorized is not the same as open.
Prepare the records now. Wait for the Department’s operational guidance before treating an award amount, deadline, or application pathway as settled.
Primary source trail
The law controls the eligibility floor. Department guidance will control the operational details.
From policy signal to farm preparation
Build your Pennsylvania fruit-freeze Action Pack.
Compare your situation with the law’s first screen, organize the evidence file, and leave with official local routes for help. Nothing you enter here is sent to SHE unless you choose to save the pack to My Farm.
Current program stage
Authorized
Application window and payment method are still pending verified guidance.
Pack reviewed Aug. 20, 2026
2 · Your working pack
Current screen
More details needed
Choose a crop and add an expected production-loss estimate to compare your situation with the law’s current eligibility floor.
- 01
Record the crop and loss estimate
Select the affected crop group and estimate the expected production loss using records you can explain.
- 02
Eligible acreage by crop
List each affected fruit crop and the acres in production during the freeze window.
- 03
Parcel map
Mark where each eligible crop was produced and the acreage affected.
- 04
Production-loss records
Gather crop-insurance, FSA, harvest, sales, or production records that can support the estimate.
- 05
Identify help serving your Pennsylvania county
Use the official directories below. Ask who can help review acreage, maps, and production-loss records before enrollment opens.
- 06
Wait for verified operational guidance
Confirm the application window, payment method, award cap, and accepted proof before estimating a payment or filing.
The PDF is free. My Farm keeps the working pack with your other farm decisions; its current early-access price is $9/month or $90/year after the free trial.
3 · Local assistance connections
Start with official public routes.
These are directories, not endorsements or guaranteed warm handoffs. SHE can add verified local relationships as the service develops.
Program authority
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Check the official crop-freeze page for operational guidance, dates, and application instructions.
Open official directory ↗Local crop and evidence preparation help
Penn State Extension county office
Find your county office and ask who supports commercial tree-fruit, grape, or berry production.
Open official directory ↗FSA records and disaster-assistance context
USDA Service Center
Locate the office serving your county and ask which existing records could support a loss file.
Open official directory ↗Crop-insurance contact
USDA RMA Agent Locator
If the crop is insured, find or contact the servicing agent before changing damaged acreage or evidence.
Open official directory ↗