The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency will broaden the use of its Disaster Set-Aside loan provision, normally used in the wake of natural disasters, to allow farmers with USDA farm loans who are affected by COVID-19, and are determined eligible, to have their next payment set aside.

In an attempt to support local farmers and small businesses, Berne Councilwoman Bonnie Conklin has proposed a farmers’ market in Berne.

As New York State politicians at both the state and federal level join the call for the protection of dairy farmers, who, across the country, are reportedly experiencing such difficulties amid the coronavirus that many are dumping milk, The Enterprise spoke with local farmers about how they’re faring. 

The Washington Park and Guilderland farmers’ markets are going to start up an online market.

Albany County recently announced a partnership with the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation, which will help local farmers with “everything from strategic planning to grant writing,” according to County Executive Daniel McCoy, who said that these are skills “not everyone has learned and can determine the fate of some of these businesses.”

At its abbreviated Feb. 11 town meeting, the Knox Town Board passed a law that will allow hog farming in the town’s agricultural districts and nearly passed an update to its home occupation laws, but had to table the matter on account of technical difficulties. 

Westerlo is in the process of developing a comprehensive land-use plan and its Comprehensive Plan Committee hopes to make the process as transparent and as open to the public as possible, said chairman David Lendrum.

We understand that Jeanne Picard Fish needs money for her care. But how is such great haste, at the cost of more money, helping her in the long run? 

The property has an historic house and barn, which are to be demolished, and is also in the midst of the Helderberg Conservation Corridor.