1 week Ago
S.C. Gov.
Henry McMaster visited Aiken Nov. 15 for the first of three events his office organized statewide to provide farmers, landowners and agribusinesses with information about programs and resources to support recovery from this year’s drought and two hurricanes. Representatives from more than 20 state and federal agencies filled the gymnasium at USC Aiken’s Student Activity Center for the first Farm and Forest Recovery Resource Day .
“Putting it all under one roof, a one-stop shop for farms, forest, agriculture, agribusiness, particularly since there are gaps in those systems, we thought this was the thing to do,” McMaster said. “I think we’re getting a great response. People say it’s answering their questions,” he said.
“Many of them said they had no idea that all of these kinds of programs existed.” Lennox Barton, who grows hay on 40 acres in Ridge Spring, said he learned about the event via email from a local Farm Service agent. “I’m glad they had it.
I’m thankful,” said Barton, who had his photo taken with McMaster. “I wanted to research and find out what’s available and what are the proper steps to get what’s available,” Barton said. He said wind from Hurricane Helene blew the roof off his tractor shed and his fencing was damaged by fallen trees.
Visitors came from as far away as Oconee and Beaufort counties to attend, said April Wilson, Business & Industry Emergency Manager at the S.C. Department of Commerce.
Agencies of the South Carolina government included the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Employment and Workforce, Environmental Services, Insurance, Mental Health, Natural Resources and Veterans Affairs. Also present were agents from the Clemson and S.C.
State extension services, the Conservation Bank, the Emergency Management Division, Forestry Commission, Office of Resilience, and Small Business Development Centers. Federal agencies included the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and office of Rural Development. “We know that the agricultural community is the lifeblood here in South Carolina and so we want to make sure we reach out to farmers and show how they may be eligible for disaster assistance as well,” said Nikki Gaskins Campbell, media relations specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Farmers are homeowners, too.
” “FEMA is a piece of the puzzle. It takes the state, the local officials, non-profits, houses of worship, all of us working collectively to help everyone on their road to recovery from hurricane Helene,” she said. As of Nov.
14, FEMA has approved more than $221 million in housing and other types of assistance to 216,434 South Carolina households, she said. “We’re encouraging people to reach out to us because there’s a variety of ways this assistance may be able to be used and they could be leaving money on the table if they assume they’re not eligible,” she said. “Your insurance is always your first line of defense,” she said.
“For those who are underinsured, we may be able to fill in some of those gaps where your insurance might not cover everything.” She said victims can call 800-621-3362, visit the disasterassistance.gov website, or go to FEMA’s website to find the nearest disaster relief center.
“If people think they may need FEMA assistance we hope they’re already starting that recovery process, but be mindful that the registration deadline is Jan. 7,” she said. FEMA does not give loans, and relief is not income dependent, she said.
Funding doesn’t have to be repaid, but it does have to be used for recovery. McMaster said more help may be forthcoming. “I’ve written a letter to our congressional delegation asking for $631 million in appropriation to do the same thing for the farmers and the forest that is done by FEMA on the home and business side of the equation,” he said.
“I think that we will get some help. I think Sen. Graham will be the senior member of the budget committee, and he understands our problems, certainly.
We’ve got good representation, and all our members of the house are fully aware,” McMaster said. Many people looking for help don’t know where to go, McMaster said. “We’ve had some suggestions that we ought to do this every year, maybe a couple of times a year, just so people can come in and get the latest information even if we haven’t had a recent disaster.
I think that’s a good idea and I think we’re going to do it.” Jennifer Butler, the S.C.
Department of Mental Health’s Director of Public Education for Community Mental Health Services, agreed. “I’ve been a state employee for 26 years, and I’ve never seen us all together in one spot like this,” Butler said. The next events are planned for Nov.
21 in Greenville and Dec. 6 in Myrtle Beach. Information about those events can be found at https://www.
scemd.org/farm-days/.
