Government agencies including WEDC and the U.S. Small Business Administration have announced initiatives to help ease the impact of COVID-19 on Wisconsin business owners, and now the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is joining the relief efforts with direct aid for farmers.
The Wisconsin Farm Support Program will provide $50 million in direct aid payments to Wisconsin farmers who have experienced losses due to COVID-19.
The program is open to Wisconsin farmers with gross income between $35,000 and $5 million in 2019. Payments to individual farmers will range from $1,000 to $3,500. Find more information on the DATCP website.
The application period opens June 15 and closes on June 29. Applications are being administered through the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and the application link will be live on the department’s homepage once the application period opens. Assistance is available by phone for farmers who cannot apply online. Spanish- and Hmong-speaking farmers can also call the Department of Revenue at 608.266.2772 for assistance.
Answers to frequently asked questions about the new program are already available on the Department of Revenue website in English, Spanish and Hmong.
