USDA Secretary Rollins to DeLauro on Farm Recovery Support Block Grant: We are at the finish line for Connecticut

WATCH HERE

Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT03) pressured United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on when Connecticut will receive funding from the Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant, a grant program DeLauro authored to help small and mid-sized specialty crop farmers recover from disaster. DeLauro received a commitment from the Secretary that funding from the block grant would be dispersed soon. Video of the exchange can be found here. A transcript of the exchange is below:

DELAURO: Secretary Rollins, in December 2024, I created a $220 million Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant in the American Relief Act. It's now been 16 months since the block grant was created, and to my knowledge, not a single dime has been allocated to the eligible states. Again, yes or no, is delivering aid to small, family, and specialty crop farmers a stated priority of this Administration?

ROLLINS: It is, and I checked this morning. I think we are at the finish line for Connecticut. Uh, after 30 meetings and a lot of back and forth. But yes, ma'am, we're moving on that.

DELAURO: Thank you. Because my next question was [on] Connecticut's work plan. We put that in place. Um, and finalizing that work plan. Do you have a time frame?

ROLLINS: It should be very soon. I literally rode the elevator with Undersecretary Fordyce and he said, we're at the finish line.

DELAURO: So thank you. I thank you because I've said this to you and I've had this conversation [with] farmers. It's over $50 million that is owed from the block grant.

ROLLINS: And you have my cell phone, but you so feel free to call me on that. But let's - let's get in touch. But my understanding is it is moving.