Maple Syrup & Sheep Added to Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

Additional commodities and more livestock are now covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). And the U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the deadline to apply for funds.

As the result of reviewing public comments regarding the commodities and livestock covered by the CFAP program, the USDA extended coverage to more than 30 specialty crops, livestock, aquaculture, and nurseries. They also extended to deadline to file for funding to September 11th.

Of particular interest to Central New York farmers the new covered commodities include; maple sap (for maple syrup), watermelons, and pumpkins. All sheep are also eligible where before it was only animals that were 2 years or younger. Nursery crops and cut flowers also make the list. Here's the USDA's all the new items now eligible:

Specialty Crops - aloe leaves, bananas, batatas, bok choy, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, chervil (french parsley), citron, curry leaves, daikon, dates, dill, donqua (winter melon), dragon fruit (red pitaya), endive, escarole, filberts, frisee, horseradish, kohlrabi, kumquats, leeks, mamey sapote, maple sap (for maple syrup), mesculin mix, microgreens, nectarines, parsley, persimmons, plantains, pomegranates, pummelos, pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos, turnips/celeriac, turmeric, upland/winter cress, water cress, yautia/malanga, and yuca/cassava.

Non-Specialty Crops and Livestock - liquid eggs, frozen eggs and all sheep. Only lambs and yearlings (sheep less than two years old) were previously eligible.

Aquaculture - catfish, crawfish, largemouth bass and carp sold live as foodfish, hybrid striped bass, red drum, salmon, sturgeon, tilapia, trout, ornamental/tropical fish, and recreational sportfish.

Nursery Crops and Flowers - nursery crops and cut flowers.
Other changes to CFAP include:

Applications are processed through the local offices of the Farm Service Agency. Here's where to find the nearest office. Get more info on applying for the assistance program at Famers.gov/CFAP.