Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corp

COVID-19 Resources

Our office is closed but the HVADC staff are working remotely and are available to assist you. Please email info@hvadc.org if you need assistance.

We will keep this page updated with new information and opportunities as they become available.

Last updated: 05/18/2020

Funding Resources NYS/Local Resources Federal Resources

Funding Resources:

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

USDA is accepting applications now through August 28, 2020.

Are you a farmer or rancher whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. Agricultural producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call center in order to simplify how they serve new customers across the nation. Visit https://www.farmers.gov/cfap for more information.

SBA and Treasury Release Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S Department of the Treasury, released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application and detailed instructions for the application.

The form and instructions inform borrowers how to apply for forgiveness of their PPP loans, consistent with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SBA will also soon issue regulations and guidance to further assist borrowers as they complete their applications, and to provide lenders with guidance on their responsibilities.

The form and instructions include several measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers, including:

Options for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an “alternative payroll covered period” that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles
Flexibility to include eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the eight-week period after receiving their PPP loan
Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness
Borrower-friendly implementation of statutory exemptions from loan forgiveness reduction based on rehiring by June 30
Addition of a new exemption from the loan forgiveness reduction for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined

The PPP was created by the CARES Act to provide forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to keep American workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The documents released today will help small businesses seek forgiveness at the conclusion of the eight-week covered period, which begins with the disbursement of their loans.

Click here to view the application and instructions. It is also available at www.sba.gov/ppp in the Loan Forgiveness section of the webpage.

SBA EIDL Advance/Loan

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance/Loan portal reopened May 4, 2020 at 12:00pm for farms only. The re-opening of the portal is for agricultural businesses that were previously ineligible for the program. New non-agricultural business applications will not be accepted.The portal will be opened for a limited period, and it is recommended that you apply as soon as possible.

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

If you have already applied under the streamlined application (March 30th to program closure), there is no need to re-apply.

Agricultural Businesses Defined:

source: Cornell Cooperative Extension

Agricultural businesses includes those businesses engaged in the production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)). SBA is encouraging all eligible agricultural businesses with 500 or fewer employees wishing to apply to begin preparing their business financial information needed for their application.

If you are unfamiliar with the EIDL program, we included it in a recent fact sheet https://bit.ly/3eW0inq.

Here is a chart summarizing the differences between te EIDL and PPP

Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Farmers/Ranchers Affected by COVID-19 | Farm Commons

Farmers and ranchers are now eligible for Economic Injury Disastor Loans (EIDL) through the Small Business Administration (SBA), as of Friday April 24th, 2020, . The EIDL program provides an emergency grant of up to $10,000 for small businesses suffering a loss of revenue because of COVID-19. In this tutorial, we discuss the specifics of eligibility and how to submit an application through the SBA. Issues with how the program has performed over the past few weeks will also be in the discussion, as well as how EIDL works with other relief options. This is a valuable opportunity, especially for farms unable to receive a Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loan.

https://farmcommons.org/economic-injury-disaster-loans-farmersranchers-affected-covid-19

Additional helpful links:

Presentation on Small Business Administration's guidance for applying to EIDL: https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/resource_files/EIDL-BDO_Presentation_March_26_0.pdf

Free video tutorial on how to fill out the EIDL application (incl. forms needed based on business structure): https://vimeo.com/399334577

US Small Business Administration

https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Explained

SBA Website

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program

Navigating the Payroll Protection Program

COVID 19 support via The Carrot Project

NYS/Local Resources:

Horticulture Now Included in Statewide Reopening

Horticulture operations may now be fully open for business, but MUST follow both the interim guidance and the guidance for non-food agriculture production found HERE

New Guidance on Reopening Horticulture Business by Region - (even if already open!)

Phase One begins May 15 and is allowed in Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley and North Country regions at the moment. The map for the regions is here: https://esd.ny.gov/regions.For more information click HERE

Protect Yourself and Your Family from Coronavirus (COVID-19)

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/protect-yourself-and-your-family-coronavirus-covid-19

Protect Yourself Signage English (pdf) Spanish (pdf) Additional languages available in above link

Interim Guidance for Cleaning & Disinfection of Food Manufacturing Facilities or Food Retail Stores for COVID-19

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/03/cleaningfoodstorescovid-19.pdf or DOWNLOAD