Drought disaster designation open emergency loan assistance to area farmers

News to know valley graphic created by Royal Broadcasting employee Brooke Greene used by permission

Farmers in Warren and Rappahannock counties may now be eligible for emergency assistance following a federal disaster designation related to drought.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a Secretarial natural disaster designation covering areas of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia.

The designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency to provide emergency loans to eligible producers recovering from drought-related losses.

Emergency loans can help farmers replace essential items, including equipment or livestock, reorganize their farming operations, or refinance certain qualifying debts.

The Farm Service Agency will review applications based on the extent of the losses, available security and the producer’s ability to repay the loan.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, affected counties experienced severe drought conditions for at least eight consecutive weeks during the growing season, or reached extreme or exceptional drought levels.

The disaster is classified as a drought fast-track designation.

Eligible farmers have until March 31st, 2027, to apply for emergency loan assistance.

Producers in Warren and Rappahannock counties who experienced drought-related losses are encouraged to contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency office for information about eligibility and the application process.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Ground water levels continue to fall

Graphic created by Royal Broadcasting employee Brooke Greene used by permission

Recent monitoring shows groundwater levels in the Shenandoah Valley continue to fall, raising concerns for residents, farmers, and water users across the region.

Despite snow and sleet from Winter Storm Fern, groundwater hasn’t seen a significant rebound, and water tables remain lower than expected for this time of year.

The US Geological Survey reports say the storm’s moisture hasn’t yet made its way into the aquifer below.

This follows earlier reports that groundwater had dropped several feet, placing levels near some of the lowest in more than a decade and impacting stream flows across the valley.

Officials remind residents that continued monitoring and water conservation efforts will be important as conditions evolve.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Winter Storm Fern damages farms across the Valley

News to know valley graphic created by Royal Broadcasting employee Brooke Greene used by permission

Work is continuing across the Shenandoah Valley as farmers, first responders, and state agricultural agencies assess damage from Winter Storm Fern.

Poultry houses, greenhouses, and other farm structures were among those impacted by heavy snow.

Virginia Poultry Federation President Hobey Bauhan says at least ten poultry houses in the Valley suffered structural damage from snow load.

Meanwhile, Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance reports nearly 50 storm-related claims so far, ranging from auto crashes and collapsed buildings to downed trees and frozen pipes.

State agricultural leaders say while the damage is serious, it could have been worse. Bauhan noted that a similar storm in 2003 caused more than 50 poultry house collapses statewide.

As damage assessments continue, organizations including the Virginia Poultry Federation, Virginia Farm Bureau, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and the Farm Service Agency are working with farmers to document losses and coordinate assistance.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Lord Fairfax Soil & Water District receives $8.6 million for farm conservation projects

The Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District (LFSWCD) has been awarded $8.6 million in state funding for agricultural conservation projects during the 2026 program year.

The funding, provided through the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices (VACS) Cost-Share Program, is available exclusively to farmers within the district’s service area.

The VACS program offers financial and technical support to help producers implement conservation practices that improve water quality, protect soil
health, and enhance long-term farm sustainability.

Farmers may receive up to $300,000 in cost-share assistance for more than 60 approved practices, including cover cropping, nutrient management, livestock stream exclusion, and rotational grazing.

The program is administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in partnership with Virginia’s 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).

Farmers interested in applying should contact their local SWCD. A map of local districts and contact details is available here.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Need more buffers in your life?

Virginia Department of Forestry used by permission from VDF Communication Specialist Cory Swift-Turner

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) announced it successfully planted 170 acres of riparian forest buffers during the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 seasons through its new Riparian Forests for Landowners (RFFL) program.

The program awarded $650,800 to 85 private landowners for projects that protect water quality across the state.

While it fell slightly short of its 200-acre goal, RFFL helped DOF reach a total of 856 acres of buffer planting in 2024.

Funded by the Virginia State Water Quality Improvement Act, RFFL supports a wide range of landowners, not just farmers, and covers both planting and one year of maintenance.

New Funding Now Available for the DOF is accepting proposals for the 2025–2027 RFFL cycle.

Deadline: July 29, 2025, at 2 p.m.

Apply via eVA.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Skyline Drive’s historic groundbreaking: July 18, 1931

Shenandoah National Park Skyline Drive sign picture taken by employee of WZRV/WFTR used by permission

Ninety-four years ago, on July 18th a defining moment in Virginia’s landscape and New Deal history took place!

The official groundbreaking of Skyline Drive near Front Royal.

That historic ceremony on July 18, 1931, ushered in the creation of a 105.5mile scenic byway that would stretch along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Although a field survey had begun earlier that year in January, July 18th marked the formal start of construction.

The Federal Drought Relief Administration initially funded the project to create a stunning route and provide jobs for Virginia farmers and apple pickers devastated by the severe 1930 drought.

Through the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a pivotal role in the development.

Work included grading slopes, building stone walls and overlooks, planting native vegetation, and constructing guardrails, signs, comfort stations, campgrounds, and picnic areas, efforts that shaped the Drive’s rustic charm and environmental sensitivity.

After the central section between Swift Run Gap and Thornton Gap opened in September 1934.

Subsequent construction pushed Skyline Drive north to Front Royal in October 1936 and south to Jarman Gap by August 1939.

The southernmost stretch connecting to Rockfish Gap was originally built as part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1939 and later incorporated into Skyline Drive.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Regenerative agriculture workshop

Photo by Janet Michael

Join Blandy Experimental Farm, on Tuesday, June 25th at 6:30 pm, for the first of a series of workshops and presentations on the techniques and benefits of restorative grazing.

In this series you will learn how to apply methods of grazing to reduce costs, produce grass-fed livestock as a profitable income, increase the soil quality, and provide support to a variety of wildlife.

We will view Part One of a newly released documentary, “Roots So Deep You Can See the
Devil Down There.”

This series follows how seven farmers in the US who have adopted these farming and grazing techniques over four years and continue today.

You will have the opportunity to meet local farmers who have applied the methods here in
Virginia, as well as a local goat herder who utilizes her animals for brush and weed clearing.

You’ll have the chance to talk through the goals and questions for your property if you like.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Clarke County farmers market opens

Embarking on its 29th season, the Clarke County Farmers’ Market kicks off on today, Saturday, May 4th.

Running from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday, rain or shine, until October, you can find it nestled in the parking lot of the school administration building at 317 W. Main St. in Berryville.

A multitude of Clarke County farmers, bakers, and artisans will be on hand, offering an enticing variety of fresh produce, honey, flowers, eggs, cheese, meat, baked goods, prepared meals, and crafts.

Plus, indulge in live music performances every Saturday.

This weekend you can pick up FREE seedlings, too.

The Berryville Tree Board is giving away 100 seedlings, Franklin tree,
flowering Dogwood, and American beautyberry, donated by Bartlett Tree Experts.

Originally inaugurated on June 3, 1995, at the Coiner’s Hardware store parking lot on Berryville’s East Main Street, the market has shifted locations over the years, finding its current home at the former Berryville Primary School site since 2020, after a stint on South Church
Street.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Grassland Partnership Program

Farms along the I-81 corridor that have pastureland that is used for forage production are invited to participate in the Grassland Partnership Project.

The project focuses on the impact of six grassland management practices.

The affect soil carbon storage, input cost, profitability, productivity and in some cases the response of birds and pollinators.

Funding is available to farmers who install at least three of the six practices and maintain them for at least five years.

The Grasslands Partnership  is a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture , VSU College of Agriculture, and Virginia Cooperative Extension.

For questions please contact Grasslands Project Coordinator Amanda “Mandy” Fletcher at 804-892-0108 or afletcher@vsu.edu.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.