The Northeast BIPOC Farmer Relief Fund is now accepting applications for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) folks living in the Northeast who work in agriculture and have been economically impacted by the COVID crisis. Funded by Farm Aid, this fund will provide $500 relief payments for up to 200 applicants.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must:
- Identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color)
- Work on a farm, ranch, in agriculture, or as a fisherperson
- Live in any of the following states or tribal land in this region: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC
- Have been impacted economically by the COVID-19 pandemic
The criteria and application are simple as possible. Rest assured that you:
- Do not have to own a farm, ranch or fishing business, as long as you work in agriculture or fishing
- Do not have to prove specific loss amounts with receipts or other documentation
- Do not have to share any information about your immigration status
- Do not have to speak or read English (the application is available in Nepali | Bengali | Hatian/Creyol | French | Somali | Arabic | Cantonese | Mandarin | Vietnamese | Tagalog/Pilipino | Spanish | Kirundi/Kinyarwanda)
- Do not have to apply online – we will be accepting applications over the phone. Please call Jen Himes 814.349.9856 x701 between 8am-5pm Eastern Monday – Friday if you want to submit your application over the phone. If you would like to apply over the phone in a language other than English, please contact Melanie Allen at melanie@blackfarmerfund.org to request phone interpretation.
Applications are being accepted through August 10, 2020.
Please contact Tracy Lerman from NESAWG at tracy@nesawg.org if you have questions.
