Due to the government shutdown, our Resource Rodeo scheduled for Monday, Oct. 7, in Silk Hope, NC has been postponed until further notice. Several of the presenters and federal resource providers involved are furloughed government employees.
In a recent radio story by the North Carolina News Service, RAFI’s Farm Sustainability Director Joe Schroeder explained how the shutdown is affecting North Carolina farmers.
“A late loan can be worse than a timely loan,” he said. “There’s a pretty, small critical window when farmers need the cash. These loans are pretty critical and the timing of them is essential.” To read and listen to the full story, click here.
In a Huffington Post article yesterday, RAFI Executive Director Scott Marlow highlighted that 1,423 farmers are waiting for Congress to pass a budget in order to received their USDA direct farm operating loans that have already been approved.
“In our work, a loan delayed is as good as a loan denied. A farmer receiving his or her operating loan late can be worse than not receiving it at all, as the farmer is unable to invest in crops in a timely way. As Congress argues, this shutdown costs us farms lost and dreams deferred.”
Click here to read Scott’s full article.
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